The Gods' Game Part 3
by Liz Inverse
Summary: The continuation of the Gods' Game fic series. Taken from one world and sent to another, who is this Elf, and why do the gods seek her destruction? Will she be able to find her way in a world vastly different from the one she knew?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 In which we begin in another world

_ Once upon a time there was a man and a woman. They knew each other since they were children, and fell in love. Together they had a baby girl, and they lived in a grand, rich city full of others like them. They were happy._

_ One day, war reached them in their peaceful home. Unable to bear to watch those they had come to love as friends die, or the home they'd grown fond of be torn apart, they bid farewell to their little girl and left to fight. They fought bravely; the thought of a peaceful world that their little girl could grow up in was the thing that made them the strongest. _

_ Sadly, they never returned home to their little girl. She was saddened by this, and cried. A woman came to her and brought her to a different city to live, saying that she would be her mother now. This woman was different from her, but loved the little girl all the more as if she were the same. The little girl's memory of her parents grew dim, but she thought nothing of it._

_ The little girl grew up in a comfortable life, never knowing hardship or war. She was not allowed to go past the safe walls of the city she lived in, as her new mother said all she ever needed would be right there. The little girl became friends with the many different kinds of people in the city, and would bring food and snacks to them while they worked. As she grew older though, she became restless, and found that her mind wandered towards venturing beyond the city walls…._

"Are you writing smut again?" a voice came from behind Narlafayn. Startled, she froze and a shiver went through her from toe to head.

"Ju~ri! You startled me! What are you doing back?" she asked, turning to look at her orange-haired friend.

"Can't a girl come home after an adventure?" Juri asked, taking Narlafayn's journal and reading what she had written. She made a sour face at it. "What is this, a kid's book submission?" Narlafayn sighed and leaned forward to grab her lunch basket as she stood. She had seated herself on the edge of a large fountain in the middle of the marketplace to write.

"No…it's a history for mother. I'm joining the ranks and I know she won't understand otherwise." Narlafayn sighed again. Juri was silent for a moment before dropping Narlafayn's journal and grabbing her hands.

"You…you're really…" she said in a breathless voice, her eyes sparkling. Narlafayn blinked a few times in surprise at Juris reaction.

"Uh…yeah…I'm just really antsy anymore…" she began uncertainly.

"Let's go get you registered!" Juri suddenly exclaimed, pulling Narlafayn. She stumbled after her, her long, cream-colored dress getting tangled up around her legs.

"Now? But I haven't told mo-"

"No time to waste, the world is waiting!" Juri interrupted, dragging her along.

Narlafayn stared blankly as they passed through the city, trying to think of how she could break the news easily to her mother. She had been taken into the city of Bastok as a young child after her parents were killed in the Crystal War 20 years ago. Bastok was a mining city, built up around a mine called the Zehrun mine, and surrounded by ocean. A great tall cliff provided the city with shelter from invaders, and the only way to pass through to the outside was through mined out tunnels. She was originally from the neighboring city of San D'Oria, a well-known, rich city full of history and a race called the Elvaan.

Narlafayn herself was of this race, as was her friend Juri. They stood out in the primarily Hume-dominated Bastok. Other than Juri there were only a few other Elvaan that lived there. Many passed through, but Narlafayn never had a chance to speak with them to get to know her people better. Elvaans were tall, and had long, pointed ears and tan skin. Juri herself was short for her race, but still stood almost a foot over the tallest Hume. In contrast to Juri's short, pigtailed orange hair, Narlafayn's was bright silver that layered about her face and fell to her waist. She had violet eyes that were always given a double take when talking with strangers.

"Here we are." Juri stated, releasing Narlafayn and putting her hands on her hips. Narlafayn blinked a few times and stared, dumbfounded, at the stairway leading into the round, stone building that made up the Consulate of Bastok. She hadn't even noticed Juri taking her through the Metalworks to get there. Sighing when Narlafayn didn't move, Juri grabbed her by her wrist and led her into the Consulate. She led her over to a large book, just inside the door. "Ok, here's where you start. From this listing, pick out what you want to start learning, Black Magic, White Magic, Red Magic, Sword fighting, melee fighting or daggers. I personally wouldn't recommend the daggers, as most people who go that route become Thieves, and then you got everyone on your tail trying to turn you in for cash." Juri recited, inspecting her fingernails. Narlafayn scanned the book for a moment, and then looked at Juri with shining eyes.

"Can I learn all of them?" she asked in an awed voice. Juri crossed her arms in front of her chest in an 'x' shape and made a buzzing noise.

"As motivated as you may be, just pick something to start off with right now. We Elvaans are best suited for sword wielding you know, why don't you work with that?" Juri said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other impatiently.

"But there's so many…I want to learn them all." Narlafayn said, putting a hand to her mouth in thought.

"Masterrr them all?" a purring voice said behind her haughtily. "Listen to that newbie. What a joke." Narlafayn looked over her shoulder to find a small woman with curly brown hair and cat ears poking through it at the top of her head, watching her smugly. She was a Mithra, a feline race. Next to her stood a gray-furred, tall hulking creature known as a Galka, who grinned at her comment and put a hand on her shoulder. Narlafayn stared at them, a hurt look slowly crossing her face.

"Ignore the out-of-proportion couple, Narla. I can imagine their relationship is very unsatisfying, which could be the cause for bitterness." Juri said in a deadpan voice. Narlafayn resisted the urge to giggle, as Galka were a genderless race, even though they resembled male creatures.

"Arrrrogent wench!" the Mithra spat, shoving her face close to Juri's and baring fangs. "Ourrrr rrrrelationship is verrrry satisfying!"

"Really." Juri stated, grinning at her smugly. "How's the sex then?" The Mithra shut her mouth quickly, her teeth clicking. "That's what I thought." Juri turned away from her and back towards Narlafayn. "Did you pick something yet?" she asked, noticing the sealed parcel Narlafayn now held.

"Yes…but…is it really ok for you to do that?" Narlafayn asked, looking at the fuming cat-girl and her equally angry lover.

"Do what? It's just Krazybone and his chick. All hot air, they are." Juri pushed Narlafayn towards a small changing closet. "Hurry up and go change already!" she urged.

"But don't you want to know what I…" Narlafayn attempted to say as Juri shoved her.

"I'll see in a few minutes when I meet you outside, now hurry up!" Juri grinned, closing the door to the changing room.

Several minutes later Narlafayn stood outside in a blue, skintight sleeveless shirt and pants. A square had been cut away at the midsection, revealing her stomach from sternum to bellybutton. A richly decorated belt sat around her hips. She held one arm over her chest and smiled nervously at the catcalls a passing Hume guard gave her.

"Well, well. A warrior, eh?" Juri stated, nodding in approval. "I think it'll be good for you. You're strong enough." She said with a tight-lipped smile. "Come with me, let's get you started." Narlafayn followed after her curiously as they trekked back through the Metalworks. Strong enough? What did that mean?

Several hours later, Narlafayn slowly walked back towards her home at the far side of the Markets. She lived in a spacious round house near the Goldsmith guild with her adopted mother, Zeal. Her adopted father had died nearly ten years prior, while mining in the Palborough mines. A turtle race, called the Quadav, had killed him mercilessly as they took control of the tunnels. The incident, unfortunately, had caused her mother to put a tighter leash upon her, and she was unsure of how today's events would affect her.

"Where have you been?" Zeal asked from the kitchen as Narlafayn entered the house slowly. She winced with every step, her muscles on fire from the fighting she'd done. Juri had assisted her for a while, until she got the hang of swinging her sword. Most people had to train under a sword master before being able to leave town, but Narlafayn had found sword fighting came naturally. She wondered if it was a natural trait amongst Elvaan, as Juri didn't seem to notice it. Zeal's eyes widened as she took in the adventurer's outfit that Narlafayn wore, and the sword that hung at her side. "Would you mind explaining to me why you're wearing that outfit and carrying that weapon?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Narlafayn averted her eyes from her mother's penetrating glare. Not wanting to talk about anything until after she'd had a hot bath, she turned away from her and slowly walked towards her room. "Just stuff…" she answered, praying that it would be enough.

"It's not 'just stuff'!" Zeal cried, dropping her ladle she'd been holding and rushing to Narlafayn's side. She stood in front of her and put her hands on her shoulders. "Please, for the love of Altana, tell me that you didn't…you didn't join up to become an Adventurer. Please, Narlafayn." She pleaded, tears springing up into her eyes. Again Narlafayn averted her gaze and didn't respond. This seemed to answer Zeal's question, and she stepped aside to let Narlafayn enter her room.

The rest of the night was spent in silence; Zeal didn't bother talking to Narlafayn about her decision, or even question her as to why she had done it. Some part of Narlafayn couldn't understand why it was such a sin for her to want to venture out into the world. Sometime during the night, she heard the door to her room open. She shut her eyes quickly, pretending to be asleep, as her mother sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Narlafayn…" Zeal began, testing to see if she were awake or asleep. Narlafayn didn't answer, and kept her eyes firmly shut. Zeal took a breath and looked down at her hands. "Honey, I just want you to know…whatever you discover out there, wherever you go, you will always be my daughter." She put a hand on Narlafayn's shoulder and began stroking it with her thumb. "There are many things I wish I could tell you but…." She paused and swallowed, as if trying to keep herself from crying. "Become strong, darling. That's all I can give you, in the end. Your parents would be proud to know you've taken up the sword." She sat for another moment before standing and making her way back towards the door.

"Who were my parents?" Narlafayn found herself asking, sitting up. Zeal looked at her in surprise, as she had never asked about them before. "My memories of them anymore are so faint…" she put a hand to her head, frowning, "I know how much you hate the outside world, but I want to know who I am." The reason why she yearned to travel past the walls was right there, and she couldn't even see it. She didn't know anything about her parents, or her past. Everyone around her could trace their history back generations, they could find themselves by knowing their family, but she had nothing. Noticing the shocked look Zeal was giving her, Narlafayn asked, "Did you know them?"

"It is late, I must sleep." Zeal said, rushing from her room. Kicking off her covers in a hurry, Narlafayn jumped from bed and ran after her.

"Mother, what is it? Why are you acting so strange?" she asked, alarmed. Zeal looked at her with large eyes, her skin pale. Although tall for a Hume woman Zeal suddenly seemed to be very feeble and tiny.

"There are things that we cannot speak of." She said in a hushed voice. "Please do not ask me any more. Grow strong and return to San D'Oria, the answers you seek will be there." Zeal shut her eyes and composed herself before placing her hands on Narlafayn's cheeks and gently pulling her head down to kiss her forehead. She turned away and retreated into her own room silently, leaving Narlafayn to stare after her in worry.

Months passed quickly. Narlafayn found the process of training to be a long and tedious journey. When she first started out, the prospect of killing the Quadav that roamed freely around Gustaberg, the land outside of Bastok, to be frightening. The large turtle-men caused fear to surge through her every muscle, and she ran in fear from them multiple times. It was slowly getting easier though, the more time she spent out in the rocky, barren lands, the braver she found herself becoming.

Gustaberg had been stripped of almost all plant life. Patches of trees and grass still grew on and around the craggy hills dotted around the landscape. Narlafayn found herself homesick for green forests, even though she held no memory of them. Many other new adventurers ran around the countryside, slaying Quadav and Rock Lizards, but none ever spoke with her. She wondered if she intimidated them, as most were shorter Humes or Mithra.

She stood after killing a Rock Lizard and took a breath, wiping the sweat from her temples. She'd exchanged her blue adventurer clothes for a more useful set of gray, black and white leather armor, and felt very distinguished. She blinked and paused mid-wipe, as a Hume wearing white armor stood on a boulder behind her and watched her with a slightly tilted head. He was wearing a helmet that hid his entire head from view, so she couldn't read his expression. Giving him a skeptical look, she turned and made her way towards bulb-like plant monster called a Walking Sapling and began hacking away at it. The Hume jumped off of the boulder to move around her. He sat down this time, and it was clear to Narlafayn that he _was_ watching her.

"Can I help you?" she asked roughly, standing after thoroughly killing the Sapling. He stood without hesitation and approached her, removing his helmet. Narlafayn's eyes widened as a young man smiled at her. His brown hair was cut short at the temples to frame his face, but the rest was long and pulled back into a ponytail.

"Are you in a linkshell?" he asked brightly. Narlafayn frowned and raised an eyebrow, trying to remember what a linkshell was.

"Uhm…no?" she said uncertainly, scratching the side of her nose. The young man reached into his armor and pulled out a small bag. He dumped a tiny black pearl into Narlafayn's hand, and then smiled at her again.

"There ya go. Welcome to the linkshell. My name's Eclipses, hope to hear from you again soon." He stated cheerfully. With that he put his helmet back on and took off over the hills, his armor clinking as he ran. Narlafayn stared at his fast departing figure, her outstretched hand still holding the pearl. She looked at it, and then held it up between her fingers to inspect it with one eye squinted shut.

"You put it in your ear." Narlafayn glanced to the side to find another Hume sitting on the boulder Eclipses had vacated. He smiled at her, and Narlafayn felt her heart pitter-patter. He was attractive, more so than Eclipses, with light brown hair cut short at his jaw. His face was slender and youthful. "Go on, try it." He urged. Not taking her eyes off of him, she put the pearl in her ear. It fit snugly in her ear canal, and she blinked at him, waiting for something to happen.

"Welcome to the linkshell." The Hume said, grinning at her. Narlafayn jumped, as she heard his voice not only next to her, but coming from the tiny pearl as well.

"What? We have someone new?" an accented girl's voice came.

"Yeah, your boy is flirting again, Oona." The Hume said, winking at her. Narlafayn blushed and looked away from him as Oona began to whine at Eclipses. "Go on, introduce yourself." He urged again, nodding.

"Um…hi…my name is Narlafayn," she said woodenly, feeling very silly talking to the air. There was silence for a moment, and then suddenly Oona burst out with a string of words in another language.

"You WERE flirting with a girl!" she exclaimed. Narlafayn could hear Eclipses stuttering somewhere underneath Oona's shouting. The Hume chuckled and removed the pearl from his ear, and Narlafayn gratefully did the same.

"She'll be yelling for awhile, but she knows he'd never cheat on her." He grinned, pocketing the pearl. He began walking back towards town, and motioned for Narlafayn to follow. "My name's Rasta." He introduced, still smiling. Again, Narlafayn felt her cheeks grow hot with a blush.

"I'm N-Nar.." she began dumbly, and then paused, kicking herself mentally, as he had heard her introduction just moments before. Rasta chuckled at the look on her face.

"It's ok; Oona's shouting throws people off sometimes. Don't worry though, she won't hate you." He assured her. He paused for a moment before adding, "Eclipses gave you the linkpearl on my request, after all." Narlafayn stopped walking all together to stare at him with wide eyes.

"Why?" she asked dumbly. Again she mentally kicked herself; why couldn't she sound more intelligent?

"Well, you looked lonely." He said simply, pausing until she remembered how to use her legs. "Anyway, here's where I will leave you for today." He said, stopping by the tunnel leading back into town. "I'll see you again soon." He flashed her another smile before dashing past the tunnel and in the direction Eclipses had gone. Narlafayn watched him go for a moment before turning and walking into town at a brisk pace. She entered her home without a word and went straight into her room where she flopped onto her bed, still clad in armor.

"I don't look that lonely, do I?" she asked herself aloud, into her pillow. Sighing, she raised her head enough to stare at her outstretched hand that still held the linkpearl. She grinned at it to herself and rolled over, blushing again at the memory of Rasta.

A month went by. Narlafayn would wear the linkpearl to listen to the conversations others had with one another, but spoke rarely. She hadn't heard from Rasta at all, and began to wonder if she'd ever hear from him again. The silence was broken one day when she heard him call her name over the hum of conversation in the linkshell.

"Rasta?" she responded, blushing. She was seated against a rock wall, resting after fighting a Quadav. The conversation in the linkshell stopped, and her face turned red. Her voice had come out a little too eager.

"Have you ever been to Palborough before?" Rasta asked her. He sounded a bit breathless, as if he were running. Narlafayn was silent for a moment.

"Not since my father died there," she said carefully. The mines were located at the very northern tip of Gustaberg, several hours' travel from where she sat.

"Oh no, how'd he die?" Oona asked, her voice rich with sympathy.

"Quadav attacked him." She answered, rubbing the gooseflesh from her leg. It still gave her chills, remembering how they killed her father.

"How would you like to go and give them a little payback for what they did, then?" Rasta's voice came. It had a mischievous tone that made Narlafayn blush again.

"Oooh, Rasta's asking Narla on a date." Oona giggled, causing Narlafayn to blush a deeper crimson.

"Killing Quadav is a good thing." The deep voice of Thondorr, a Galka Narlafayn had met only once came. "It will be healing to your soul."

"I'm…really far away from Palborough though…" Narlafayn said hesitantly.

"That's fine. I'll wait for you." Rasta said in a good-natured tone. "Just start running now, you'll make it here in enough time."

"Rasta _is_ flirting with Narla!" Oona giggled louder.

"I told you I wasn't the one flirting." Eclipses mumbled. Narlafayn smiled despite herself, and pushed herself to her feet.

"Shush Sugar. You know I like to tease you." Oona crooned. She heard the unmistakable groan of disgust from Messenger, a Hume she'd never met.

"Geez, you guys make out constantly when we're supposed to be hunting, and you whisper sweet nothings in the linkshell while apart. Why don't you guys get a private linkshell for your own personal love chat and leave the rest of us to enjoy our lunches where we like them; in our stomachs." He said bitterly. Narlafayn giggled as she ran, as Oona and Eclipses began making kissing noises in spite.

"I'm really disturbed." Thondorr stated.

Narlafayn arrived at the mouth of the mines a couple of hours later. A cold breeze blew from inside, chilling her.

"Well, I'm here, where are you?" she asked, scanning the wooden crates piled in stacks around the entrance. There were old pickaxes on the ground from where the miners had dropped them in their dash to escape the Quadav the day they seiged the tunnels.

"Come on inside, you'll see us." Rasta's voice came. Narlafayn's heart fell. Us meant there was someone else there. Someone else there meant she couldn't spend time with him alone. Swallowing her disappointment, she squared her shoulders and marched in.

The mines were deafeningly silent. There was a muted air noise, as if wind were blowing over the tunnels somewhere. The silence was so heavy that the crunch of gravel beneath her feet didn't echo. She entered the first mine cavern at the end of the entering tunnel to find Rasta and a blonde Hume boy sitting on old sandbags, resting. Two Quadav lay at their feet, dead.

"Ah good, you're here." Rasta said, smiling. He and the boy stood and stretched. "Now the fun can begin." The boy next to him pulled a large sword, taller than himself, from the ground and hefted it over his shoulder. "This here's Lane. I called him to help me with the payback." Rasta said, jerking his thumb towards the boy. He nodded at Narlafayn once, and walked towards a second tunnel, adjacent to where Narlafayn stood.

"Er…what do I do then?" Narlafayn asked curiously, taking a few steps into the cavern.

"Just stay there and watch." Rasta grinned, jogging into the next tunnel after Lane. She blinked at them as they disappeared into the darkness beyond the tunnel, then shrugged and sat down.

Minutes went by. Narlafayn tapped her fingers against the rock she sat on impatiently. Rasta would curse into the linkshell every so often, so she knew he was still alive.

"Ok Narla, stand back." She heard him finally say into the linkshell breathlessly. She lifted her head, her ears perking as the sound of rumbling met them. She pushed herself to her feet slowly, trying to identify the cause of the rumbling, as it grew louder. Rasta and Lane suddenly burst into the small cavern and ran to the side farthest away from her. Behind them came scores of Quadav, and Narlafayn's jaw dropped. There were _hundreds_ of them. She backed up a few steps to get out of the way, her heart pounding at being faced with an entire army of Quadav. They didn't seem to notice her though, and went straight for Rasta and Lane. The two men began fighting the Quadav in a flurry of movement. She watched in awe as they methodically cut through the beast men without breaking a sweat. The line of them never seemed to end; it was as if they had managed to pull the entire Quadav settlement from the deepest recesses of the mines. Within minutes, a pile of Quadav lay on the floor of the cavern, and Rasta sat on the floor next to Lane, catching his breath. Narlafayn slowly entered the cavern, her eyes large.

"Revenge exacted." Rasta panted, grinning at her. "Now you have nothing more to be scared of." Narlafayn's lower lip quivered and she fell to her knees in front of him. She began to cry, leaning her hands on the ground to support herself as she bent over enough to hide her face from view. She had known Rasta for such a short time, and he knew so little about her, but those words were the single most relieving and inspiring things she'd ever heard in her life.

"You have a strange courtship ritual." Lane stated, giving Rasta an expressionless look. Narlafayn's face turned red and the urge to continue crying left her in an instant.

"So much for the element of surprise…" Rasta said lightly, feigning a pout. He then grinned at Narlafayn as she stared at him with large eyes. She looked down again as she pushed herself upright, wiping her nose on her hand.

"Thank you." She mumbled, hoping he couldn't see her blush.

She began traveling into the mines with him after that day. She studied white magic enough to be useful as a healer for him, as her strength didn't match up to his yet. She got to know him well, and despite her crush on him, was proud to say she had become his friend. Oona constantly teased the two about spending so much time together, alone in the mines. Much to Narlafayn's embarrassment, Rasta would feed into it.

"Hey, Narla." Rasta asked one day while they sat in a tunnel, resting from battle. Narlafayn raised her head to look at him, her eyebrows raised in interest. "Do you like spending time in here with me?" He didn't look at her as he asked, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. She tilted her head, was he feeling awkward for some reason?

"Of course I do, why wouldn't I?" she responded, smiling.

"Well…most guys take the girls they like on dates to someplace nice, like a garden. Not spend hours in cold dark tunnels killing Quadav." He said quickly, his face turning red. Narlafayn's own cheeks responded in blushing and she stared at him in surprise. Did she just hear him admit that he liked her?

"It's ok, I'm not really sure I could handle an outright romantic situation properly." She said, her own voice wavering in nervousness. Rasta grinned at her and stood, holding a hand out to help her up.

"So if you don't mind dates being in here, shall we continue?" he asked as she stood. Grateful for the break in awkwardness, Narlafayn nodded enthusiastically. He leaned forward and pecked her cheek before walking briskly through the tunnel to the next cavern. Narlafayn watched him for a moment, one hand to her cheek before grinning to herself and walking after him.

After another set of defeated Quadav (she was surprised there were still so many after he and Lane had killed hundreds.), they sat next to each other. He put his arm around her and leaned back against the rock wall. They sat in silence, and Narlafayn looked at her hands that rested upon her knees. Her heart pounded in her chest from nervousness, and she was sure her cheeks were permanently stuck blushing.

"Thank you again, for what you did before." She said quietly, smiling at him softly. "For killing all those Quadav." She added to his questioning look.

"Think nothing of it." He said with a smug grin. "I had originally intended just to take a few from the neighboring tunnels, but when you told me that they killed your father, I called Lane to help me take on more." Narlafayn stared at him speechlessly. "I'd watched you for a few days out in the Fumaroles and noticed you never once fought a Quadav unless you really had to. I wanted you to be able to face anything bravely, as you were meant to." he finished with a smile, his ears turning red from embarrassment. Narlafayn smiled, tears welling in her eyes, before leaning into his chest.

The air around them suddenly changed, and Narlafayn glanced up to find Rasta staring down at her with a strange expression. He lifted his hand and brought it around to rest on the cheek farthest from him. Her breath caught in her throat as he slowly guided her head to turn and face him for a moment before he leaned down and kissed her. She leaned into it, trying to control her eagerness, and lifted her own hand to place her fingers against his jawbone. They remained like this for a few minutes until Narlafayn tilted her head. Rasta took this as an invitation to deepen the kiss, and Narlafayn leaned back as he did, her back gently lying upon the cold rock.

Discarded clothes were used as a makeshift bed upon which Narlafayn and Rasta laid upon. They laced the fingers of one hand together, holding onto one another tightly. Rasta raised himself up enough to stare down at her gently and kiss her jaw. She tilted her head back and sighed as feelings she never thought she'd ever feel washed over her, and reveled in the warmth from his body. It was over before she knew it, even though enough time had passed to make the people in the linkshell question their silence. Rasta chuckled as Oona teased them, and put his arm around Narlafayn as they lay on the ground, their clothes still spread out beneath them.

"Are you ok?" he asked, raising his head to look over at her. She lay with her head on the spot between his shoulder and chest, and played with the ends of his hair, her own silvery hair splayed out over his arm like a blanket.

"Yeah, just thinking." She sighed, twirling his hair.

"About?"

"Where I go from here." She answered, shutting her eyes for a moment. Rasta stirred and pulled his arm from underneath her to sit up. She tilted her head at him as he began to dress himself. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked, worried.

"Nah, you didn't." he replied, his voice muffled as he pulled his tunic over his head. "I just think it's not a good idea to lay around naked in this place for very long." He grinned mischievously at her and said, "Although I am enjoying what I see." Narlafayn blushed a deep red and grabbed her own clothes, hurriedly putting them on. "But to answer your thought, how about going to San D'Oria? You're strong enough now." He offered as she dressed.

"But San D'Oria is past Valkurm Dunes. I'm not nearly strong enough to even hope to venture through there." She responded, belting her robes. Valkurm Dunes was the desert that resided just past the Konschtat Highlands, a green place to the west of Gustaberg. It took a day to travel the distance between Bastok and Valkurm, and another day to travel through Valkurm to San D'Oria. Trying to travel that far on foot as an inexperienced adventurer was suicide.

"I'll walk you there." Rasta said, helping her to her feet.

"Deal." She said quickly, grinning at him. Giving her a cocky grin, Rasta moved forward to kiss her, but halted as the sound of rumbling met their ears. They both turned towards it, trying to identify the source. "What's that?" she asked. Rasta was silent for a moment before gathering up his hand-to-hand weapons and taking Narlafayn by the wrist to lead her at a quick walk down the tunnel.

"It seems our friendly Quadav have finally realized I'm in the tunnels and have come to exact revenge." He murmured grimly, all mirth lost from his expression. Narlafayn's heart leapt into her throat at the tone of his voice. He didn't sound confident, as he usually did, and it worried her. As they rounded into a cavern, Narlafayn paused to look over her shoulder. Behind her, a large group of Quadav pressed into the tunnels and stampeded towards them. One gave out a strange growling squawk as they saw her, and began running faster. "Keep running." Rasta urged, pulling her after him. Narlafayn glanced over her shoulder again as she ran, her eyes widening in shock at the mass amount of Quadav that followed them. Rasta pulled her around a corner and into a paved mine area. A Tarutaru stood in the paved hallway sorting through ore that he'd mined, and stared at them with large eyes as they passed by. He stood up and down the tunnel to see the approaching Quadav before calling for their attention and motioning.

"This way, don't go that way." He said in a tiny voice, pointing down a different tunnel. Rasta halted and made a quick turn, jerking Narlafayn along roughly. He followed the Tarutaru down the tunnel, and Narlafayn's ears picked up the sound of running water. As they burst into the next cavern, its source was found. An old river that was once used to transport mined ore back to Bastok flowed past the small dock she found herself standing upon, an old but useable raft locked to the side.

"Thank you." Rasta murmured before dragging Narlafayn to the raft and pushing her on. She stumbled to her knees and sat there numbly as Rasta wrestled with the lever that would release the them. The Quadav came running into the room a moment later, and the tiny Tarutaru began fighting them off, distracting them so that she and Rasta could escape. Rasta finally managed to shove the lever, and the raft was released just as a Quadav took a swing at him. Both of them were knocked onto their bottoms from the sudden movement of the raft upon water, and sat watching dumbly as the Tarutaru continued to take on the Quadav.

"Is he going to be ok?" Narlafayn asked, her voice hushed. They were now traveling in complete darkness, and she hadn't heard him speak for a long while. She wished she could move towards him, but was too afraid the raft would tip from the movement.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Rasta said, his voice hoarse. Narlafayn reached blindly out into the darkness, hoping to touch him, but found nothing but air. He sounded shaken, and she wanted to comfort him. They were silent for the remainder of the trip, until the raft came to a stop inside of a lit cavern. Narlafayn shielded her eyes, the dim light hurting them after being in darkness for so long. Rasta stood and pulled a lever near where the raft had stopped, locking it to the little wooden dock. He then turned and helped her off, not looking at her. She followed him to the gates locking the tiny harbor away from the main tunnel, a worried look on her face.

"How'd you get in there?" the Galka guarding the gate on the other side asked, puzzled.

"Will you let us out please?" Rasta asked in a quiet voice. The Galka shrugged and opened the gate for them. As Narlafayn crossed into the next tunnel she discovered she was back in the Zehrun mines inside of Bastok.

"Rasta…are you going to be ok?" Narlafayn asked, walking next to him. He had his head down, his hair hiding his face from view.

"I need to be alone for awhile." He said, his voice still low. Narlafayn halted, stung by the cold tone his voice held. He walked ahead of her and exited the mines, leaving her with a tight feeling in her chest. When she exited after him a few moments later, he was no longer in sight.

She wandered to her home, filled with confusion. It seemed that what had happened between them had been a dream, how it was so easily pushed aside. The closeness she thought she had gained with Rasta had suddenly grown back into a large rift, and it hurt her. Was he just acting on boyish impulse and didn't really care for her at all? Tears stinging her eyes, she rushed the rest of the way into her home and into her room, her mother giving her a confused look as she dashed by.

The next day she awoke early and dressed in plated, rust-colored armor. She cast one last glance to the mage robes she had worn while hunting with Rasta, and exited her room. Tiptoeing through the house, she left a note on the kitchen counter for her mother, grabbed some provisions, and left the house quietly. She hated leaving without a word, but she didn't want her mother to make that face again, that she had the night Narlafayn had asked about her parents. Taking one last look at the house, Narlafayn let out a wistful sigh, suddenly feeling as if she would never see that house again. Swallowing against the lump that suddenly appeared in her throat, she shut the door quietly, and walked briskly towards the city gates. She paused as she passed through the gate, taking a breath of crisp morning air, and then began walking.

Some part of her wondered if she should try to wait for Rasta, but she had not heard from him again the rest of the day, nor seen him in town. The feminine side of her wanted to stay in town and wait for him to call for her, but the urge to go to San D'Oria was too great.

Gustaberg's barren landscape gave way to the green grassy meadows of the Konschtat Highlands, and Narlafayn paused to eat lunch near the Crag of Dem. The Crag was a massive white structure of a strange shape, with strange platforms located on each side of it that pointed in a cardinal direction. Upon each platform spun a purple crystal, a few of which had been broken in two. The Quadav and Goblins that wandered about the Highlands didn't seem to notice her presence, and left her alone. Once she was done eating, she pushed herself to her feet and then continued her journey across the Highlands. By evening the grasslands faded away into sand, and Narlafayn found herself at the mouth of the desert. A sandstorm began just as the sun set, and she huddled inside of a tent put up by the Bastokian guard on duty with other adventurers, waiting for morning.

"So where are you headed?" a Tarutaru asked, plopping down next to her. "I'm headed for Mhuara myself." Narlafayn stared at him in surprise, as it was strange for someone to approach her.

"Uh…San D'Oria." She answered hesitantly. The Tarutaru tilted his head at her, as if contemplating.

"Wow, wouldn't it be easier to just travel by Chocobo?" he asked, referring to the large yellow birds that were a major source of transportation in the world. "You don't look that strong yet, you on a suicide run or something? Your boyfriend break up with you or something?" he prodded. Narlafayn's face darkened and she stared hard at the ground, steeling her jaw. "Ah-hah! I should've known" The Tarutaru proclaimed, noticing her expression. He scooted closer to her and put a tiny hand over hers. "That's ok, you can be my girlfriend then." He said, beaming up at her. Narlafayn's eyes popped open and she stared at the Tarutaru in disbelief. Standing, he didn't even come up to her knees, and his head was as round as a melon. Her eye twitched as she suddenly got the irresistible urge to kick him as hard as she could to see how far he'd fly.

"That's ok, really…" she managed to say, choking back her laughter. The Tarutaru frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. His head wobbled on his shoulders as he moved, as if it were only balanced there and would fall off with any strange motion.

"Nope, you're definitely-wetly going to be my girlfriend from now on." He decided firmly, nodding to himself. "My name is Curaga, what's yours?"

"Narlafayn…um, isn't Curaga the name of a spell?" she asked curiously. Curaga frowned and glared at her for a moment before huffing.

"So what, I've seen Mithras named Kittylitter, doesn't mean anything." He grumbled, digging his foot into the sand. "You should be nicer to my feelings now that you're my girlfriend!" he exclaimed, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Alright, I'm sorry." Narlafayn apologized, chuckling. It didn't matter what he insisted tonight, she probably wouldn't see him again after that. Night fell, and the storm finally let up. Some travelers left the safe confines of the tent to brave the desert at night, but Narlafayn curled up against the rock wall the tent had been erected against to sleep. Curaga cuddled close to her, and although uncomfortable at being so close to a stranger, she was grateful for the extra bit of heat, as the desert was cold at night.

She woke early the next day, hoping to sneak out of the tent before Curaga woke and latched onto her, but there was no such luck. He had been up moments before she roused, and was waiting for her with an eager face.

"Let's hold hands, girlfriend." He stated cheerfully, holding out his tiny hand. Narlafayn glanced at him skeptically and chuckled.

"That will make travel a little hard, considering our size difference." She stated, amused.

"Well then, carry me!" he demanded, stamping his little foot into the sand. Narlafayn stopped and put her hands on her hips to look down at him.

"Now that's not very fair. What if we're attacked by a Goblin while I'm carrying you? I wouldn't be able to fight it properly." She said in a stern voice. Curaga pursed his lips and lifted an eyebrow as he folded his arms across his chest.

"If we get attacked by a Goblin, we'll both be dead before you draw a sword, so I don't see how it makes a difference." He stated sarcastically, and then held his arms up. "Hold me-wee girlfriend!" he said in the babyish tone that most Tarutaru used while speaking. Defeated, Narlafayn sighed and lifted the Tarutaru up. Not trusting him to behave himself while being held in her arms, she plopped him on her shoulders and began walking. "Heyyy! This is what it's like to be tall!" he stated excitedly, bouncing. His ride lasted until Narlafayn saw her first Goblin. Needing to move quickly, she put him on the ground and dashed behind a boulder to hide from it. He followed close behind her as they dashed to another boulder, surprisingly fast for such a small being. Waiting until the after the next monster passed, they dashed as fast as they could towards the natural rock tunnel leading further into the desert.

Much to Narlafayn's dismay, she heard a guttural growl of a Goblin as it noticed them. Looking over her shoulder once, she saw the creature double over, as if in pain, strange lights rising up around it. Her heart began to pound and she lifted Curaga up to carry under her arm like a ball, recognizing the beginnings of a spell being cast. A stone spell hit her, rocks breaking out from underneath her feet and pummeling her body. She dropped Curaga and slammed into the side of the tunnel, the wind knocked out of her. Curaga screamed as the Goblin approached quickly and continued screaming as he tore down the tunnel, leaving Narlafayn behind. Still wincing in pain, she drew her sword, one arm holding her stomach as pain ripped through it with her movement. She swung blindly, her blade bouncing off of the thick leather the Goblins wore as armor, and gasped as the Goblin stabbed her once with his dagger. He broke through her armor as easily as if it were paper, stabbing her deep in her stomach. Her eyes wide in shock, she dropped her sword and fell to her side, fingers twitching from the pain. The Goblin stared down at her for a moment before slowly walking away.

"I got it!" a male voice came a moment later. There were the sounds of battle, and then the groan of the Goblin as it was dispatched. Narlafayn stared up as the familiar face of Eclipses came into view and stared at her in shock. "Wow, you got beaten." He stated before turning. "Hey Oona, Narlafayn's here, I think she needs some healing." He called. A short Hume with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail came racing into the tunnel, her eyes large.

"Oh no, Narla! Are you ok?" she asked, holding her hands out as she cast a healing spell. Warmth surrounded Narlafayn and her wounds healed up instantly. Eclipses grabbed her by her arm and helped her stand up, supporting her until she regained her balance.

"What are you doing running through the desert alone, anyway?" Eclipses asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"I was trying to go to San D'Oria…" Narlafayn mumbled, fingering her damaged armor.

"San D'Oria? Alone?" Oona asked, shocked. "Where's Rasta? Why didn't he take you there?" Narlafayn looked away, clamping her mouth shut, not wishing to answer her.

"He must still be angsting over what happened in Palborough yesterday." Eclipses mumbled to Oona. She gasped and stared at him for a moment before stomping a foot down.

"That bastard! How dare he sit and feel sorry for himself after making a promise to a girl!" she fumed. Narlafayn blinked in surprise, then remembered that Rasta hadn't removed his linkpearl at all while they were in the tunnels. Her face turned red; how much had they overheard? "Come Narla, we will take you there." Oona said, smiling. She linked arms with Narlafayn and they began walking the rest of the length down the tunnel. On Oona's other side, Narlafayn caught Eclipses grinning wickedly at her. Her eyes widened for a moment, and he nodded at her, his grin broadening. She looked away quickly, her face a deep crimson.

As they exited the tunnel, Narlafayn found Curaga sitting on a boulder, crying into an oversized handkerchief. He perked up as they approached, and jumped off the boulder to run and latch onto Narlafayn's leg.

"Girlfriend! You're alive-wide!" he exclaimed, beaming up at her. Narlafayn's temper perked, as she looked down at him, angry that he had left her to die. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted as Eclipses foot suddenly whooshed by her leg, punting Curaga into the air. He sailed several feet before landing face first in a dune.

"I've always wanted to do that to him." Eclipses stated, as if punting the tiny person was a great relief.

"Sugar, shame on you." Oona scolded, putting her hands on her hips. "Although I can't blame you, it is Curaga after all." She re-linked arms with Narlafayn and began walking again. Narlafayn stared at her in surprise as they passed the dune where Curaga had landed, his feet waving rapidly in the air as he tried to pull himself out.

"Uh…will he be all right?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at his still waving legs.

"Yeah, it's Curaga. He's harder to kill than a Quadav shell bug." Eclipses stated, stretching his arms over his head.

"He used to be in our linkshell some time ago, but we broke his pearl as he was always latching onto girls despite their protests and claiming they were his girlfriend." Oona explained. "He becomes extremely overprotective and violent when the girl even walks by another boy." She shook her head, as if in pity. "In any case, let's get you to San D'Oria already. I'm dying to visit the castle there; I've heard it's grand!"

Oona and Eclipses stayed with Narlafayn the rest of the trip to San D'Oria. After going through a pass, the desert became a craggy plateau, which eventually became a dense forest. She stared in awe at the trees, her heart full of excitement and joy at the lush greenery. She pulled away from Oona to walk ahead a bit and stare up into the branches. Happy tears fell from her eyes and she shut them, basking in the filtered sunlight. She opened them a moment later as, even though the feeling of being underneath the trees was fulfilling, she felt as if something were not quite right. The forest she yearned for was not this one, but another one that she could not place in memory.

She approached the high city walls slowly, dim memories flashing to life of looking at them as Zeal led her away to live in Bastok. She paused outside the gates and stared up to the symbol representing San D'Oria carved into the archway, trying to recall the past.

"We're going inside now, so we'll see you later, ok Narla?" Oona said, squeezing her arm.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks for the help." Narlafayn stated, still staring at the symbol. There was something she felt like she wanted to remember, but her brain was having trouble recalling it.

"Is there a problem?" one of the guards asked, watching her with a frown.

"Huh?" she managed out; looking at him as if she'd never noticed his presence before. It dawned on her then that she was still standing in the middle of the gateway, and smiled nervously. "No, just passing through…" she said, laughing lightly to hide her embarrassment. "Going in now!"

She passed through the gates with her shoulders hunched, ashamed at how dumb she must've looked to everyone who passed by her. As she walked past the second wall that shielded the city, familiarity suddenly surged through her. As she gazed around the rich stone city, memories of her life before Bastok rushed forth, overwhelming her. She found herself running instinctively through the town square and towards a residential area. She slowed as she walked past the rich-looking stone homes built against the inner wall, remembering a time when she raced down the very street she walked upon, chasing bubbles that somebody had been blowing. She paused in front of a familiar house, her heart pounding hard, before grabbing the handle and opening the door.

"Did you wash your hands, honey?" a white-haired Elvaan woman said, her back facing Narlafayn. Narlafayn blinked hard, and the woman faded into an elderly Elvaan woman who stared at her in disbelief.

"What are you doing in here? Get out!" she stated shrilly, backing against the wall. Narlafayn stared at her in confusion for a moment, and rubbed her eyes. She gazed up the flight of stairs directly in front of her, feeling a strange tugging inside.

"I'm sorry, I'll just be a moment…" she murmured, walking into the house and ascending the stairway.

"I'm going to fetch the guards!" the old woman warned as Narlafayn reached the landing. "This is trespassing!" she said louder, as Narlafayn slowly walked into the bedroom upstairs.

"Darling, you need to settle down, it's time for sleep!" a black-haired Elvaan man chuckled, smiling at her. He reached his arms out, as if to embrace her. "Come on now, I'll tell you a story before you sleep." He smiled as she approached him, but disappeared a second later, leaving her staring at a bookshelf. She looked around curiously, not understanding for a moment, where he had gone. The old woman had followed her upstairs, and now stared at her with a strange, shocked expression.

"It's you…" she said breathlessly, putting a hand to her chest. "I never thought I'd see you again…but…here you are." She walked to the bed where she sat heavily on the side.

"You know me?" Narlafayn asked, rushing to the old woman's side and kneeling. The old woman stared at her for a long time before smiling, the skin wrinkling around her eyes.

"Yes, I know you. Who could forget those strange, beautiful eyes of yours?" she said fondly, putting a gnarled hand on Narlafayn's cheek. "How beautiful you grew up to be. I'm surprised your skin actually tanned like a normal Elvaan."

"Please." Narlafayn pleaded, taking the old woman's hand and holding it gently, "I remember so little about my life here, please tell me about it. About my parents." She stared into the old woman's eyes intensely, trying to convey her yearning to know about her past with all of her might. The old woman's eyes lighted with fear for a moment before she shut them and sighed.

"Very well, I shall tell you. My life has been full, I have no reason to keep anything else hidden." She said with a smile, scooting back on her bed and laying down upon it. She situated herself comfortably before patting the side, inviting Narlafayn to sit. Confused by what her cryptic words meant, Narlafayn sat obediently. "Your parents were good people. They tried to help others where they could, even at the expense of their own comfort. When I lost my home and husband to a fire during the Crystal War, they were the first ones there to help me, and gave me this, their home, to live in."

"If you lived here, then why was I sent away to live in Bastok?" Narlafayn asked, hurt.

"Silly little child, you don't realize how unwanted you are yet, do you?" the old woman stated seriously, her face without expression. Narlafayn stared at her in disbelief, a cold feeling spreading throughout her limbs. She attempted to withdraw her hand from the woman's grasp, but her grip was firm.

"If you are going to insult me, then I'd rather find someone else to talk to." She said sullenly, looking down at the quilted blanket covering the bed.

"You won't find anyone else who will willingly speak of your parents as I will, child." The woman stated. "As painful as it may be, what I speak is the truth. Now listen carefully." She shifted slightly, laying an arm over her stomach and taking a composing breath. "Your parents were not born in San D'Oria. In fact, no one knows where they came from. They just appeared here one day, frightened and huddling next to one another like they'd just seen the most horrific thing in their entire lives. They were just teenagers then, barely old enough to live on their own. With their being outsiders of course, we Elvaan left them to their own devices. After all, despite having long ears like us, these two newcomers were shorter, and their skin was as milky as a Hume's." She raised her eyebrows slightly at Narlafayn's shocked expression. "Why the strange face? Your skin was just as pale when you were born, which is why I was so shocked to see you so tan now. I wouldn't have been able to distinguish you from any other of our race if it hadn't been for those eyes of yours."

"I was unwanted, just because they…we looked different?" Narlafayn asked in disbelief. She couldn't believe how proud and racist this woman was! How any of them were! These were the people she had yearned so long to return to?

"Not only that but…" the woman took another breath, and Narlafayn noticed she had begun to shake slightly. "Any of us, who became close to you or your family, were visited by…by someone very powerful. He would warn of dangers to befall us if we became too close to you. He told us what you and your parents really were, and where you had come from." Tears escaped the corners of her eyes, and she held Narlafayn's hand tightly.

"Who am I really then? Tell me, please!" Narlafayn pleaded desperately. "Who was it that told you bad things would happen? Please, I must know." The old woman's eyes had become glassy, and she gazed into the air, staring at nothing.

"I'm sure he's visited all that you've become close to, even now." She said, her voice fading. She suddenly tensed up as if seizuring, her eyes wide. "Oh..Promathia…forgive me." She whispered. She drew in a gasping breath and fell backwards on the bed, her eyes still open and staring.

"Hey…Hey, wake up." Narlafayn said, shaking the woman lightly, her voice thick with welling tears. "I'm sorry I urged you so much, please, wake up." She released her hand slowly, choking back a sob. She pushed herself to her feet and dashed down the stairs and out the door. "Please help!" she begged, grabbing the first person she saw. The Elvaan man stared her in disgust and pulled away, trying to step out of her grip. "The old woman, she's…." The man shook free from her and walked away, casting an annoyed glance over his shoulder. A guard walked by in the other direction, and Narlafayn latched onto his arm. "Sir please, the old woman…" she began, trying to pull the guard towards the house. He stood still, and stared at her coldly.

A scream suddenly erupted from the upstairs of the house she had just exited, and another Elvaan woman burst from the upstairs door and onto the balcony. "MURDER!" she shouted, her face white. "Yana is dead! She's been murdered!" People emerged from their homes with the shouting, and Narlafayn released the guard's arm as his stare turned colder.

"She entered Yana's house forcefully, I saw her!" another woman said, pointing towards Narlafayn, who looked at her in horror.

"I think you should come with me to the Consulate. What city are you from?" the guard asked, reaching for her arm.

"No, I didn't do anything…" Narlafayn whimpered, backing out of the guard's reach. "I used to live there…I was just talking to her about my parents…" She looked desperately around at the faces of the people who gathered around curiously. There was a unanimous gasp from those who lived in the town, and several people retreated into their houses quickly.

"It is her! Look at her eyes!" a woman whispered to another. "So she did kill Yana, just as he warned us would happen!" Narlafayn stared at them with large eyes, not understanding what was going on. The guard grabbed her arm roughly and began pulling her through town. The crowd milling about the square parted as the guard pushed through, staring and whispering behind raised hands while pointing at Narlafayn. The guard dragged her to the gates and shoved her past them so hard she fell onto her side.

"Get out, and never set foot in here again, or we will execute you on the spot." The guard said in a low voice. The two guards on duty outside the gate looked between each other in confusion. "This girl is not allowed to enter here again, understood?" he told them, giving them each an authoritive glare. The guards stood at attention and saluted him.

Narlafayn slowly pushed herself to her feet, not bothering to hold back the tears that wished to fall, and walked slowly into the forest. A dust storm began to blow as night fell, and Narlafayn huddled behind a stone wall far away from the city. Orcs grunted and snorted as they walked past her, but didn't seem to notice her presence.

After her sniffles calmed, she reached into her pocket for the linkpearl and put it in her ear, desperate for some sort of comfort. The shell was alive with voices as she listened, and tears threatened to fall again as she realized they were gossiping about her.

"They say she killed someone, can you believe that?" a haughty voice she didn't recognize said. "How awful of a person is she? People don't even kill each other during Ballista, let alone a helpless old woman who couldn't possibly fight back!"

"Are they offering a reward for her yet? I know a few people who could find her and leave her conveniently in the middle of Yagudo territory…"

"That's not what happened, I didn't kill her." Narlafayn said sullenly. The linkshell suddenly went silent.

"Narla! Are you ok?" she heard Oona exclaim. "Where are you now? Eclipses and I will come to you!"

"Go get yourself killed you bitch!" another voice sneered. "We don't want you here, someone break her linkpearl already!"

_Silly child, you don't realize how unwanted you are yet, do you?_

"Shut up!" Oona commanded firmly. "Narla, please, tell us where you're at!" Narlafayn winced and buried her face against her bent knees, wishing she could curl up and disappear.

"She's alright Oona, I'm with her." Rasta's voice came. Narlafayn lifted her head quickly to find a solemn-faced Rasta standing next to her. He sat down near her and pulled the linkpearl from his ear. Narlafayn did the same, then moved forward and latched onto him in a hug, sobbing. It took her a moment before she realized he hadn't moved to hug her back, or even show her any form of comfort. She let go of him and looked into his face, searching him for any type of emotion.

"Where did you go yesterday? I was worried…" she began, wiping her cheeks. Rasta sighed and bent one leg to rest his elbow upon.

"I had some things to think over." He said in a low voice. He looked down at the grass by his feet, averting her eyes.

"Things?" Narlafayn asked in a small voice. The cold feeling returned to her limbs, and her heart began pounding. "You mean…you regret…?"

"Yes and no." he answered quickly. He paused for a moment and glanced at her before looking back at the grass. "I was visited by a strange man a few days after I had given you the linkpearl. He told me things that…. I can't even bear to think about. But he also told me that if I got close to you, bad things would begin to happen to those around me." He looked up at her then, staring into her eyes seriously. "That Tarutaru who helped us…. He was found dead by someone later." Narlafayn gasped, covering her mouth to mute it.

"That was just a coincidence, right?" she asked, her voice taking a desperate edge. "We didn't know those Quadav were going to come after us, it was an accident!" Tears once again sprang into her eyes and began falling down her cheeks. Rasta clenched a hand tightly, then quickly reached over to her and placed his hands on either side of her face and drew her close, crushing his lips against hers. He kissed her desperately, tears falling from his own eyes, before parting to breathe. He leaned his forehead against hers, his hands stroking her cheeks.

"I do care for you, Narla," he said in a choked voice, "I thought I was brave, strong enough to handle this. In the end, I'm just like every other weak creature on this planet. I can't go against the word of a god." Narlafayn drew away from him slowly, staring at him in shock. He stared directly into her eyes solemnly and nodded. There was a strange vacuum sound behind Rasta, and Narlafayn jumped to her feet, pulling her sword out. A bearded man wearing richly decorated robes stared at the two with a cold gaze. Rasta stood and met his gaze defiantly. "Yeah, that's right Promathia, I told her." He said in his usual cocky tone of voice. "Are you going to kill me now?"

Narlafayn stared at the bearded man in disbelief. _This_ was the god of darkness, the brother of their cardinal goddess Altana? "Why are you doing this?" she demanded, stepping out from behind Rasta. "Why are you killing people who know about me?" Promathia glared at her for a moment before shutting his eyes.

"Curse that woman. She couldn't handle the creations of her daughter, so she sent them to us." He said in a deep, rumbling voice. He opened his eyes slowly, and they shone with otherworldly light. A strange black-rimmed light formed around his hand as he lifted it, his palm facing Rasta. It discharged quickly, flying at the Hume who watched it bravely.

"NO!" Narlafayn shouted, pushing Rasta away. He slammed into the rock wall as the strange light hit Narlafayn in the side. It pinned her to the air, and she screamed, feeling as though her insides were melting. Promathia lowered his hand and smiled darkly as she fell to the grass.

"Perfect." He growled before disappearing.

"Narla!" Rasta exclaimed, crawling over to her and lifting her up. "Narla, open your eyes!" He shook her lightly, as if to wake her from sleeping. When she didn't stir, or move to breathe, Rasta slowly lowered his head to bury it against her neck and sobbed loudly, not caring who heard him cry.

"You poor thing…" a gentle voice came. Narlafayn felt as if she were lying across someone's lap, but couldn't open her eyes to see whom. "It isn't fair for you to be treated like this, you had no control over any of it." A warm hand accompanied the voice, and stroked the hair away from her forehead. "I wish I could have protected you better, but my evil brother saw to it that your life was miserable. I am ashamed." There was a pause, and Narlafayn felt as if she were being lifted and carried like a baby. "I shall send you to the place where you can fight that which has been given to you. It is the only gift I can give." She felt someone kiss her forehead as she was placed in what felt like warm bath water. "Be strong, precious one." The voice murmured gently.

There was a sensation of floating before Narlafayn felt as if she were dropping quickly through the air. She began to panic; unable to open her eyes to see where she was falling, or move to prevent herself from getting hurt. She sat up quickly as she felt hard ground meet her body, gasping for air. Taking in deep calming breaths, she sat and stared into nothing for a few minutes, until a cool summer breeze caressed her skin. She blinked rapidly and stood up, finding that she were inside a strange, white stone gazebo. It almost seemed to be carved from marble, and was pleasantly cool to her skin. There was a faint, wind chime-like tinkling from somewhere in the distance, and she could hear the sound of a waterfall.

She stepped cautiously out of the gazebo, finding her legs to be weak and wobbly. A shallow pond surrounded the structure, which was placed next to a great tall tree. Lights similar to fireflies fell from the leaves and disappeared before they reached the water. Narlafayn slowly walked through the pond, hugging herself as she looked up to the tree. She gasped lightly as a gentle looking, human-like woman smiled down at her from the bark. She seemed to be made of it, as her arms and waist disappeared into the ridged wood.

"You look as if you've never seen the Mother Tree before." A strange raspy voice hissed. Narlafayn cried out, startled, as she noticed a black and red skinned woman-creature with a spider-like face and six arms standing next to her. The woman-spider walked to the tree and put one of her claw-like arms upon it, and gazed up at the face in the trunk. "She is dying, you know, the curse of the forbidden magic used by you foolish Elves years ago has been slowly affecting her."

"I'm an Elvaan…" Narlafayn found herself correcting the woman-spider. She shrunk down under the creature's gaze as she turned to stare at her.

"You look like every other pale-skinned tree elf to me." The spider responded. Narlafayn blinked a few times and lifted her hands. Sure enough, her skin was as white as snow. She also discovered during this time that she was naked, and covered her chest with her arms and squatted down.

"What's happening to me?" she asked aloud, staring at the rippling water in shock. She began to shiver, trying to remember what had happened up until then. "I was in San D'Oria…I was there to find out about my parents when the old woman died and then Ras…" she winced as pain shot through her chest. She began to rock slightly and whimpered, remembering the feel of Promathia's attack.

The water rippled as someone stepped into the pond and made their way slowly towards Narlafayn. She lifted her head slowly as a pair of brown boots met her vision, to find the gentle face of a blonde elf smiling down at her.

"Hello Narlafayn." The elf said in a soft voice, holding a hand out to her. "My name is Glarawen. I've been waiting for you."


	2. Chapter 2

_In which Narlafayn meets her first Dark Elf and there is much to do about a Naked Bush_

Narlafayn sat at the bank of a small lake with her eyes shut. A medium-sized waterfall dumped into the pool on the other side, and sent a comfortably cool breeze across the water. She wore a white cotton shirt and short blue skirt, clothes given to her by Glarawen. Sighing, she let her head droop slightly to the side as she rested it against a block that had once been a wall, dozing in the mid-morning sun. The air was already warm, even though the dew had not yet dried from the grass.

She'd been in this new world for a month now, but hadn't ventured far past the safety of the village. The land, she discovered, was called 'Aden', and she was in a place simply called the "Elven Village". There were no such thing as Elvaan in this place, and she was now referred to as a 'Light Elf' by the spider-woman who lived near the Mother Tree. Glarawen had taken her in since her arrival, and patiently helped her adjust to her new surroundings. She seemed to understand that Narlafayn was not from this world, but never spoke of how she knew to expect her that first day.

Glarawen was older than Narlafayn, but never admitted her true age. Unlike the Elvaans back in Vana'diel, these Elves didn't seem to show their age until they were hundreds of years old. The thought of living that long astounded Narlafayn, and she wondered if she had this nearly immortal status as well, or if she was still stuck with the mortality that Elvaans had. Glarawen disappeared frequently, and left Narlafayn in the care of two elfin sisters named Lavinia and Mune. She would always return after a little while to teach Narlafayn more about the world of Aden, the younger Elf latching onto her as a child does her older sister.

There were several things about this new world that Narlafayn had a difficult time getting used to. Aside from pale skin that burned easily if she stayed in the sun too long, she discovered she was now quite a bit shorter than she used to be. Swords seemed to be too heavy for her now, and even her knowledge of sword fighting had disappeared. She'd spent the first few days in a depressed slump, not able to even feed herself properly, but soon recovered enough to take daily walks and get to know her new surroundings. She had not seen any other race other than the Light Elves, but had heard about the others through Glarawen, Lavinia and Mune. They were called Humans (which reminded her of Humes from her world, by the way Glarawen described them), Orcs (who the Elves were at constant battle with. There was a race to the north that seemed more honorable than the ones the Elves were sending out parties to push back.), another race of Elves that Mune would speak bitterly of, and Dwarves (who, she was told, were the blacksmith race and made weapons and armor for others). Gone were the Galka, the Tarutaru and the Mithra, although there were qualities in each of the new races that reminded her of them.

"There you are." Glarawen's voice came. Narlafayn opened her eyes slowly and looked up to find Glarawen leaning down over her, her hair falling around her face. Glarawen was very pretty, but hid one side of her face behind hair she had parted to fall partially over one eye. She had bright blue eyes, like the sky on a clear day. Glarawen was very adept in healing magic, and had attained the title of "Elder" through the officials of the town. This meant that she was devoted solely to their cardinal goddess, Eva, and performed miracles in her name.

Narlafayn had found, to her surprise, that she no longer remembered the names of the two gods from Vana'diel. There were seven gods in this world; two primary gods and five lesser that governed various aspects of nature. Eva was the goddess of music and water, and the Light Elves primary goddess. According to what Glarawen had said, the goddess Shilen had created them in the beginning. However, she had betrayed her mother Einhasad by seducing her father Gran Kain and had been stripped of her duties as water goddess and banished. Eva was then handed the duties, and the Light Elves worshipped her now. Dark Elves, whom Narlafayn had only heard about through the villagers and bitter scoffs from Mune, still worshipped Shilen. According to their history, Dark Elves had once been the Brown Elves, and lived in the Elven Forest with them. There had been a disagreement somewhere that the elves did not wish to talk about, and the Dark Elves had been cursed and banished to the Dark Forest, nearly two week's travel away.

"I was resting." Narlafayn said, squinting as she looked at Glarawen. She pushed herself to her feet and brushed the grass from the back of her legs.

"I have someone I want you to meet." Glarawen said in a cheerful voice, taking Narlafayn gently by the hand and leading her towards the village. She smiled at her over her shoulder as she approached a taller figure standing by the long bridge that connected the village to the land. He had broad shoulders and a lithe body, and wore a high-collared, charcoal colored jacket and matching pants. His hair was stark white and spiked straight back, and Narlafayn noticed his skin was a strange pale blue-gray color as he glanced at them over his shoulder. He turned to face them fully as Glarawen stopped, releasing Narlafayn's hand and taking a spot next to the strange man.

"Greetings." He said with an elegant bow. Glarawen shut her eyes as she smiled, and held a hand out as if presenting her guest. .

"Narla, this is Dasniall. He's just come from the Dark Elf Village to begin his training in the world. I thought I'd introduce you two before we left." She smiled as Narlafayn stared at Dasniall with large eyes. So _this_ was a Dark Elf? He didn't look nearly as frightening as the villagers had made them out to be. In fact, his physique closely resembled the Light Elves, only he was a little bit taller and his torso thinner. He grinned at her, noticing how she stared at him. Narlafayn blushed and blinked rapidly, lifting a hand to her face to make sure her jaw hadn't dropped open.

"Wait…did you say you're leaving?" she asked, looking at Glarawen this time. To her dismay, Glarawen nodded, her smile never leaving her face. Fighting a sad expression, Narlafayn forced herself to swallow and smile lightly. "When will you be back?" she asked.

"I don't think I'll be coming back here again, unless I need to." Glarawen stated, her cheerful air not wavering. Narlafayn felt as if a heavy weight had been placed in her chest with this news. She'd grown fond of Glarawen in a sisterly fashion, and the prospect of being left to her own devices frightened her. Seemingly noticing Narlafayn's distress, Glarawen took her hand again. "Don't worry though, we'll see each other again, I'm sure of it," she smiled.

"We're not leaving until tomorrow; shall we enjoy tonight together, ladies?" Dasniall said, stepping between the girls and putting an arm around each of them. Narlafayn blushed as he looked down at her with a sly grin. All three were startled as a loud cry came from behind them. They turned to find Lavinia and Mune standing on the bridge, staring at them with large eyes. Mune had been the one who shouted, and had dropped a bag full of groceries that now rolled down the bridge.

"Why is there a Dark Elf here?" Mune asked breathlessly, raising a hand to her mouth. Lavinia chased the fast departing groceries, trying to catch them. Pursing his lips in an interested expression, Dasniall turned to face her fully, tilting his head.

"Why _isn't_ there a Dark Elf here, is what you should be asking." He stated, folding his arms over his chest. "This place is in dire need of a little touch from the dark side, don't you agree Narla?" he asked, looking at her. Narlafayn's eyes widened and she stared at him blankly, unsure if she wanted to be associated with him by the looks Mune was giving them.

"Uh-oh." Lavinia suddenly said, looking up from where she kneeled to grab a piece of fruit. Behind her, Mune was looking down with her shoulders hunched, fists clenched tightly at her sides and shaking. She made a noise as she seethed, and Narlafayn was sure she saw steam rising off of her. Mune suddenly drew the sword sheathed at her side and dashed at Dasniall with a loud shout. Shocked, Dasniall jumped backwards as she swung at him and took off running into the forest. Lavinia took Dasniall's spot between the girls, and put a hand to her head as if it had suddenly begun to pound. "Not again…" she sighed.

"This happens a lot?" Narlafayn asked, looking at her.

"Fortunately, no." Lavinia answered, her eyes shut as she rubbed her forehead.

"Mune has never been too fond of Dark Elves." Glarawen explained, smiling again. "She always becomes uncontrollable like this when one enters the Elven Forest."

"Is Dasniall going to be ok?" Narlafayn asked, worried.

"Yeah, he'll be fine. Mune will chase him for a little while and then wear out. She's never managed to catch one yet." Lavinia said, waving her hand and turning back towards the scattered groceries. "You might want to go find him though, I doubt he knows his way around the forest." She called, not looking over her shoulder as she picked up the items and dumped them back in their bag.

"Shall we then?" Glarawen asked, looking at Narlafayn.

They ran away from the Village in the direction that Mune and Dasniall had taken, but found, after traveling in one direction for a while, that they weren't as easy to locate as hoped.

"So Narla…" Glarawen began, as they slowed down to a walk, "Have you decided what you're going to do yet?" She twirled once as she walked, her brown dress flaring out

"What do you mean?" Narlafayn asked curiously, tilting her head at her. "I'm unfamiliar with this world, there isn't anything for me to do." She kicked a pebble as she walked, frowning at the thought of living the rest of her life as a villager.

"Oh…I thought you would take up the sword again." Glarawen said with a blank expression. "Well, hope that you'll enjoy yourself staying in town, the people there are very nice, so you should be fine." She said, smiling again. Narlafayn stopped walking to give her a hurt look, which she didn't notice as she continued onward. As much as she respected the Elder, there were times when she felt Glarawen didn't care about her very much. She shook her head, trying to clear the negative thoughts from it. Glarawen had taken her in without question and she had no right to demand any more.

She ran into Glarawen's back a moment later, so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed that she'd stopped walking. Rubbing her cheek, she peered around Glarawen's shoulder to find Mune sitting on a partially topped gazebo, hugging her sword and staring into the air with a maniacal grin. She muttered to herself and pet her weapon as if it was an animal, and Narlafayn began to worry about the sanity of the elf.

"That's where you've gotten to." Glarawen said good-naturedly, hopping on top of the gazebo with her. "Now where did you chase Das?" She held a hand over her eyes to gaze around the forest around them, bending slightly at her waist. Mune suddenly laughed shrilly, startling Narlafayn.

"No Dark Elf's gonna come into my forest." She muttered, the grin still on her face. "I'll push them off the cliff just like those kids." Narlafayn took a step away from her as she giggled darkly.

"Well, I guess he got lost." Glarawen said sadly, putting her hands on her hips. She seemed to not have heard Mune's comment, and if she did, she paid no attention to it. She stepped lightly over the broken gazebo pieces and linked arms with Narlafayn with a smile on her face. A flash of memory hit Narlafayn's inner eye of a girl with brown hair doing the same. _Who was that again?_ She asked herself, squinting into the air as she tried to recall the girl's name. "Shall we go look for him?" Glarawen asked, interrupting her thought. Mustering up a smile, Narlafayn nodded, and then giggled as Glarawen began skipping.

The forest around her was lush and green, different from the barren hills of her old home. Pixies flew about them; giggling at something only they knew. Wolves and strange dog-like creatures called Keltirs ran about the underbrush, chasing the pixies that flew higher to stay out of their reach.

"Da~as!" Glarawen shouted, her hands cupped around her mouth. She paused and put a hand around her ear as she listened for an answering shout. When none came she sighed and pouted lightly, sticking her lower lip out.

"Where did he go so fast?" Narlafayn wondered aloud, squinting into the distance. An Orc carrying a heavy club wandered out of the trees and stood for a moment, as if confused as to how he got there. A moment later he turned and retreated back into the woods, leaving Narlafayn staring in shock at the realization that she'd seen her first Orc of this world. They were more distinguishably intelligent than the squashed-faced things she'd seen in San D'Oria that resembled frogs more than anything. Hoping no more would make their way out of the forest and cause the pair trouble, she stayed close to the Elder. They walked for hours, calling for Dasniall, until finally giving up and returning to the Village as dusk fell.

"I'm…I'm going to jump!" Dasniall's voice suddenly came. The girls looked at each other, and Glarawen giggled. Dasniall's words were cryptic, but his tone of voice was unmistakably mischievous.

"Do it!" an unfamiliar voice shouted from somewhere in the forest. Narlafayn laughed aloud at it.

"Where are you?" Narlafayn called, trying to repress the laughter in her voice.

"There's a big waterfall…" Dasniall responded, and then added, "If you don't hurry up and find me, I'll jump!"

"I guess that's all the clues we're going to get." Glarawen laughed, and then paused to think, a finger to her chin. "Now where could he be…"

"The Starlight Waterfalls?" Narlafayn offered. It was the only place she could think of with waterfalls, and the most likely spot from where Dasniall would throw himself dramatically from. Glarawen nodded and the two girls went racing towards the falls. As they neared it, however, the only thing nearby was an aged Elf staring into the water lazily, holding a fishing pole.

"I'm jumping!" Dasniall's voice came, echoing from behind them. It was followed by a loud splash, and the girls looked at each other blankly.

"OH!" they both said in unison, remembering the waterfalls that poured out from underneath the platform the Elven Village sat upon. The village itself was somehow magically erected over a lake. In the center of the Village sat a younger Mother Tree, the platform built to draw water up from the lake to nourish its roots. The excess water ran through shallow channels and poured over the sides, emptying back into the lake. They were so used to seeing it that they hadn't thought of it at first. Giggling in embarrassment at each other, the girls jogged back to the village and began trekking around it, looking for him. Narlafayn paused as they passed a large bush, and picked up what looked like Dasniall's jacket. She blinked at it curiously as she walked forward a few steps.

"Is this Dasniall's?" she asked, holding it up as Glarawen turned around. She took the jacket from her and inspected it for a moment.

"I think so…what's it doing here?" she wondered, rubbing the fabric with her thumb.

"You can't see me." Dasniall's voice came from the bush. Just as they looked over towards it, his hand darted out and grabbed Glarawen by the wrist and pulled her down into it. "Das!" Glarawen giggled. The bush rustled as Narlafayn approached it curiously, and suddenly Glarawen's brown and white dress came flying out. It landed on her head, covering her eyes, and she froze as more giggling emanated from the leaves.

"Oh…. my…. god…my innocent eyes…" Narlafayn stated in a strained voice. She dropped Glarawen's dress to the grass and began walking in the opposite direction, back towards the Village.

"You can stay you know." Dasniall's voice came. Narlafayn glanced over her shoulder to find him with his head poking out of the bush, grinning at her. "The naked bush is an equal-opportunity plant." Her cheeks a deep crimson, she turned away from him quickly as he ducked out of sight.

"Hey Narlafayn!" Lavinia called, as she and Mune made their way towards her. Eyes wide, Narlafayn quickly reached down and snatched up Glarawen's dress, wadding it up and holding it behind her back. They stopped as they neared, and looked around. "Where's Glarawen?" she asked.

"I haven't seen her." Narlafayn answered quickly, her eyes still large. Lavinia frowned at her and put her hands on her hips.

"But I just saw you guys together a few moments ago." She stated, her brow furrowing. "Well, when you see her, tell her that Mune wanted to apologize for going psychotic on her friend. She heard him shout that he was jumping, and was afraid she'd scarred him for life or something."

"Apology accepted." Dasniall stated. Narlafayn winced, and didn't have to turn around to tell that he had stood up and was less than decent; the expressions on Mune and Lavinia's faces told her enough. Mune made tiny whimpering noises and reeled backwards slightly as if in fear before her face darkened and she drew her sword. Repeating earlier perfectly, she let out a shout and ran at Dasniall, who jumped from the bush and dove into the lake, swimming away from her quickly.

"You can't get away!" Mune said in a growling voice, jumping in the water after him. She chuckled darkly as she swam after him, before sinking below the surface due to the weight of her armor.

"Um…Narla? Can I have my dress back?" Glarawen asked in a meek voice. Narlafayn turned to find Glarawen standing in the center of the bush with her arms crossed over her chest. Averting her eyes in embarrassment, Narlafayn dutifully handed her the brown dress. Lavinia stared at her, one finger extended, making choking noises.

"You…and that Dark Elf…" she choked, her jaw agape. Her dress on, Glarawen gave her a curious look as she fastened her belt.

"Is there a problem?" she asked innocently, blinking twice. Lavinia shut her mouth quickly and cleared her throat, looking away.

"Nope, not at all." She said quickly. "I'd better go fish Mune out, please excuse me." With that she walked away at a brisk pace, not looking behind her. Narlafayn watched her as she knelt at the bank, reached an arm into the water, and pulled a waterlogged Mune out by the back of her armor. Mune coughed a few times as she pulled herself from the water fully. Her older sister helped her to her feet, and they both wandered up the long bridge leading back into the Village.

"Wow, that's twice now. It's more exciting here than I had thought. I kinda like it." Dasniall stated from beside Narlafayn. She yelped and jumped, not hearing him approach. He slicked his hair back, squeegeeing the water from it and flashed her a smug grin. "You missed great fun in the Naked Bush." He declared, pulling his jacket from the grass and slipping it on. Narlafayn blushed again and looked away from him, unsure of how to respond to his joking.

"Um…I thought you'd want to be alone…with Glarawen…" Narlafayn mumbled, her cheeks growing pinker. Dasniall raised his eyebrows at her and Glarawen giggled behind them.

"Nonsense. The Naked Bush was equal opportunity after all." He said calmly. "Your loss though, I'm afraid. A chance to share Naked Bush time with Dasniall the Suave only happens once every red moon." He said as he walked by her. She stared at him with her mouth agape until Glarawen came and put a hand on her arm.

"He can tease with a straight face, can't he?" she said, her voice full of mirth. Narlafayn smiled at her weakly, suddenly feeling very exhausted with the roller coaster emotional ride she'd gone on since meeting the Dasniall, and wondered if all Dark Elves were like him.

A bit later, Dasniall sat underneath a tree near the lake the village resided over, Glarawen leaning against him. Narlafayn sat a bit away from them and twirled a blade of grass between her fingers. She sighed lightly, wondering if this was going to be how she spent her final night in Glarawen's company. As she thought about it though, she didn't know how it would be spent otherwise. Perhaps they would've reminisced or just chatting about the future. Glarawen was easily distracted, and conversation was severely limited if it wasn't directed towards telling of the world.

The question Glarawen asked her earlier had put an uneasy feeling in her heart. What _was_ she going to do with the rest of her life? Did she really want to resign to a fate in this world as a villager, or did she desire to do something else, like she had in the other world. Her heart pounded for a few moments and she stopped twirling the blade of grass as she tried to remember what it was that she had set out to do in the other world. She found she couldn't even remember the name of the other world at all now either, and a panicked feeling rose within her.

"Narla, why are you sitting over there by yourself?" Glarawen asked, looking around Dasniall. Narlafayn blinked rapidly and looked at them. "Come sit by us." She said with a smile. Her heart filling with joy at the thought of being included, Narlafayn eagerly got to her feet and trotted over to the pair. She smoothed the back of her skirt as she started to settle herself down on the other side of Glarawen, when her arm was grabbed by Dasniall who pulled her down to sit on his other side. He settled himself comfortably with his back against the tree and put an arm around both girls, forcing Narlafayn to lean against him as Glarawen was.

"And tonight, I have the two most beautiful Light Elves in all of Aden." He declared suavely, shutting his eyes and leaning them against the tree. "You guys have such a nice view of the moon here too. Although, it is a little too bright here for my taste, even at night."

"Yeah." Narlafayn agreed, looking up at the full moon, smiling softly. This place _was_ beautiful. Perhaps she would stay here a little longer before trying to find a way home. Taking up a sword again might not be a bad idea after all, either. It was what she knew best, even though Glarawen had told her the Elves of this world were better suited for magic and bows and arrows more than swords. _Yes, that's what I'll do. _She thought as she shut her eyes. _Starting tomorrow, I'll return to the sword and find a useful place in this world._ With that she relaxed, not even realizing she had been tense, and didn't realize she had been tired until sleep claimed her.


	3. Chapter 3

_In Which Narlafayn gets a case of curiosity and ventures into the Dark Forest, and there is a misunderstanding about a Dwarves true intention_

The morning dawned bright and sunny, and Narlafayn woke under the tree alone. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up and looked around, trying to judge how long it had been since Glarawen and Dasniall had left. She sat against the tree for a few moments, staring wistfully out over the field as people from the town began to stir and go about their morning duties. Pushing herself to her feet, she stretched muscles stiff from sleeping on the ground and wandered into town herself. Walking towards the Temple of Eva, she approached the first sword master she found and requested their tutelage. There were several surprised looks from the Hierarchs, as it was odd for someone not of the village to request training. Still, since she was a Light Elf, they complied, and Narlafayn was set up with her very first sword and shield.

Training was slow, as Narlafayn had many years of conditioning and study to catch up on. Most Elves, she learned, started their training at a young age. To catch up to those her age, she had to work extra hard. When she wasn't in study classes underneath the young Mother Tree in the village, she was tutored by Mune, and ran errands for the villagers.

"Thank you." A sleepy-eyed elf said one day, as Narlafayn handed her a vial. She had just returned after a full day expedition south to another young Mother Tree on the shores the Iris Lake to deliver a letter to the guardian elf stationed there. Rotating sore muscles in her shoulder, Narlafayn sighed and walked towards the house she shared with Mune and Lavinia, grateful the trip was over. There had been a small band of Kaboo Orcs trying to capture one of the few Unicorns that lived in the forest when she arrived at the lake. She had seen to it that they were dispatched; but the fight had left her sorer than usual.

Narlafayn sat at the table in the small dining area of the white and pale blue home, staring at a map of the continent. Taking a sip of tea from a delicate teacup, she traced mental paths with her eyes, trying to imagine where she would go first when she got strong enough. Now that she had gotten over her initial depression, she was eager to explore the world and see all that it had to offer. However, tall mountains surrounded the Elven Forest, too steep to climb. The only exit to the rest of the continent was either through a spell by the Gatekeeper, or to travel across the Forest to the Neutral Zone. The downfall to either of these ideas was that one required money, and the other required more sword-wielding experience, as stronger monsters wandered outside of the Forest. She frowned as she set her cup down, and tapped her finger on the corner of the map. Curiosity and restlessness were gnawing away at her insides, she just _had_ to be able to travel _someplace_ at this time.

"Hey Lavinia…" Narlafayn said as Lavinia wandered in, her arms laden with spell books. They were dropped into a heap on the floor near a strange chair that had no legs. Lavinia sat down in front of them, giving no notice that she had heard Narlafayn speak. "How far is it to the Dark Elf Village from here?" There was the sound of a loud whud, and Narlafayn looked up to find Lavinia had toppled over in the chair.

"What do you want to go there for?" she asked, looking at Narlafayn in disbelief from her spot on the floor. She pushed herself up and righted the chair before smoothing her hair back down and re-seating herself. "There aren't any pathways to get to the Dark Forest from here without going around the mountains and through the Neutral Zone." She stated, opening a book up to read it. "That alone is close to two months of foot travel. Besides, why would you want to go there? It's bad enough you have to deal with them once you leave the Forest, why journey to their land on purpose?" Without answering, Narlafayn stood up quickly, and retreated into the small space that had been turned into her room. Lavinia watched her with a raised eyebrow before returning to her book. "If you insist on going there, don't tell Mune or she'll beat you senseless." She called as Narlafayn disappeared behind a wall.

"You mean you're not going to try and stop me?" Narlafayn asked, poking her head back into view. Lavinia scoffed and turned the page in her spell book

"Why should I?" she asked, not looking up. "You're an adult, make your own choices. I just think you're really dumb is all. Dark Elves are nothing but trouble."

A week and a half later, Narlafayn sat underneath a tree, dozing. Dusk was falling, but the mountain range was in sight. Determined to find a pathway across the mountains, she had traveled northwest from the Village towards the mountains that separated the Elven Forest from the Dark Forest. Jerking herself awake, she blinked sleepily and glanced around her, momentarily confused as to why she was outside. After stretching, she pushed herself to her feet, took up her wooden shield, and began her trek towards the mountains again.

The stones that made up the slopes of the mountains were loosely packed and covered with moss. Pursing her lips, Narlafayn understood why no one had tried to climb over the mountains before. Even if one managed to make it halfway up the slopes, the loose rocks made it extremely dangerous. Taking a breath, she attached her shield to her travel pack, and began to climb.

More hours went by. Narlafayn would climb, and then slide. Then climb, and then slide again. Her hands had long since become bloody from the sharp gravel, but still she tried to climb, determination never wavering. Finally reaching a halfway point up the mountain, Narlafayn found a boulder and seated herself upon it to rest. She gazed out over the land from her perch, amazed at how high she was. In one direction she could barely make out the Village in the moonlight. In the other direction she saw a band of Kaboo Orcs, huddled around a campfire. Taking a breath, she pushed herself to her feet and began her slow climb again.

After a short struggle over a steep curve, Narlafayn pulled herself up onto a flat plateau, and stared in amazement as she realized she'd climbed to the top of the lowest mountain. Excitement bubbling up inside her chest, she punched the air and let out a human-like whoop, proud of herself. She then turned to face the Elven Forest and cheered as loud as she could, not caring who heard her. She had never been prouder of herself than she was at that moment. She'd conquered what others in the Forest had labeled unconquerable. Sometimes relentless curiosity _did_ pay off.

She set up camp on the plateau for the night and found it to be extremely uncomfortable. The grass was short and chilly, and the wind blew relentlessly. There were no trees, so she lacked tinder for a fire. She eventually found safe haven behind a rock that jutted out from a slope leading up to the highest mountain peak, but it only protected a portion of her from the cold wind. Morning brought heavy dew that further chilled her and woke her from the half-sleep she'd managed to put herself in. Dragging her feet, she continued the trek across the plateau.

By noon of the start of the next week, she came to the edge of the plateau, and now looked down upon the strange willowy trees that made up the Dark Forest. The trees leaves seemed to be a dark green, almost black, and vines hung down from the branches as if to catch unsuspecting travelers. A wide meadow lay below her, and she could see darker colored Treants (Large beings that looked like walking trees and protected the forest. There were similar ones on the Elven Forest side, only lighter and less gnarled in appearance), and strange little creatures with large blood-colored wings that reminded her of pixies, flitting back and forth. Before descending she paused to read her map, trying to gauge how much longer she had to walk before reaching the Dark Elven Village. Frowning at her map, as everything seemed to be closer together than it was in real life; she chewed the inside of her lip to mentally calculate the distance. Wind suddenly gusted across the plateau, and she shielded her face from the tiny bits of grit that came with it. The map flapped in her hand, like it was trying to get free. The corner she held onto ripped, the parchment flying high into the air as if triumphant of its escape. Crying out in surprise, Narlafayn lowered her arms and sprinted after it, one hand reached to the air in case it blew down towards her. Pausing at the foot of a steep slope, she watched helplessly as her map flew up to the highest peak and disappeared into the clouds gathered there.

"Fine, who needs you?" She grumbled at it, adjusting her travel pack and continuing onward. She screeched to a halt, her feet stopping before her body, causing her to stumble. A tall man with pale skin and hair whiter than hers that trailed well past his waist, stood ahead of her, his back facing her. At his side he held a strange, undecorated golden helmet that reminded Narlafayn of a bucket more than anything. He was wearing a strange robe around his waist that seemed to be pants, but billowed like a skirt. She looked around herself, puzzled as to how he could've gotten there without her noticing. He seemed to be watching something in the meadow below. "Excuse me…" she called, stepping towards him, her hands unconsciously gripping the straps of her pack, "…. I'm not exactly sure where you came from, but I was wondering if you knew how much longer it was to travel to the Dark Elven village from here?"

The man turned slightly to look at her, his shoulder and hair obscuring his face from Narlafayn's view. She tilted her head at him curiously as he stared, wondering if he could understand what she had said. Sighing indignantly, she squared her shoulders and approached him.

"It's kind of windy up here right now, so I don't know if you heard me…" she began, wandering close to him. A strange kind of light-wrought pain ripped through her eyes, even though she had not gazed at anything bright, and she winced, putting a hand over her face.

_ "No, please!" A voice called out. Blurry figures seemed to be locked in struggle, and she could barely make out a pale-faced girl staring in worry. There was the sound of metal scraping against metal, and suddenly a more masculine figure tripped backwards and fell, the girl diving to his side and holding him against her, as if protecting him. "What have we done to deserve this?" She cried, her voice taking the rough edge of suppressed tears. _

Narlafayn reeled backwards as if struck, and fell onto her bottom. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, trying to quell the strange feeling left behind after the vision. She made another moaning sound and shook her head, blinking rapidly as her eyes tried to focus. When her vision cleared, she found that the man had disappeared, and she squinted her eyes shut hard and re-opened them. Had she been hallucinating? Pushing herself to her feet, she hefted her pack from where it had fallen back over her shoulder. She noticed, as she began her slow trek down into the meadow, that the wind had calmed suddenly, and idly mused if it had been that mysterious phantom she'd seen causing the gusts. Much to her surprise, there was a path leading down the slope, as if to encourage travel, unlike the steep unforgiving gravel of the Elven side. Remembering how the man stared intently at something in the meadow, Narlafayn paused and shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun to see if she could tell what he'd been looking at.

Movement caught her eye, and a Dark Elf woman came running into view. Squinting, as the woman seemed to be watching something over her shoulder, Narlafayn noticed a shorter creature; one she could only assume was a Dwarf by the thick brown beard that hung down his face. Narlafayn gasped despite herself as the Dark Elf tripped and fell, and the Dwarf pounced upon her and proceed to, by what Narlafayn could see, attack her.

"You…bastard!" Narlafayn said in disbelief. Acting quickly, she put her shield back on her arm and drew her sword, sliding the rest of the way down the mountain slope towards them. Rocks tore into her legs where her boots didn't protect her, but she endured the pain. "Stop that!" Narlafayn shouted, racing towards the pair. The Dwarf looked up at her in surprise and cried out as she swung at him. He jumped away from the Dark Elf and stared at Narlafayn in fear for a moment before his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell backwards. Frowning, Narlafayn approached him slowly, her eyes slowly widening, as he appeared to be unmoving, his face frozen in a look of fright. Her heart began to pound; had she killed him from fright? Was it possible?

"What are you doing?" The Dark Elf's voice came angrily. Narlafayn whipped around to find her sitting up, one hand covering her breasts. A short bodice lay crumpled around her waist, and a short jacket hung off of one shoulder. It dawned on Narlafayn as if a metal pan struck her in the head that the Dwarf had been attacking the Dark Elf in a manner _different_ from what Narlafayn had assumed. Behind her, the Dwarf pushed himself to his feet and paused, staring at Narlafayn with large eyes as she turned to look at him in surprise. Without a word he bolted, tearing off through the meadow and out of sight. "Wait!" The Dark Elf called, trying to push herself to her feet quickly. By the time she stood, he had disappeared around a rock ledge in the far distance.

"Er…sorry…I thought you were in trouble…" Narlafayn stated meekly, shrinking as the Dark Elf turned to glare at her. She growled softly as she pulled her short bodice back up and around her breasts. Narlafayn blinked in disbelief, as the bodice seemed to barely attach itself to her large chest, and did nothing in the way of support. The sheer size of them left her mind boggled. How was she able to run without those large things flopping out every time? Noticing her stare, the Dark Elf smirked and moved in close.

"Oh I see…perhaps you were jealous?" she said silkily, tracing a finger along Narlafayn's jawbone. Not moving, Narlafayn's face went into an annoyed expression.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked, her voice flat. The Dark Elf, who stood several inches taller than Narlafayn, looked down, her cheeks tinting pink.

"You mean you weren't acting out of jealousy?" she asked in genuine surprise. She cleared her throat and stepped away, smoothing her bangs. Narlafayn glared for a moment while sizing the Dark Elf up. Other than her large assets, she was voluptuous in figure. Her face was oval-shaped and slender with a pointed chin. Her lips were plump and colored a deep red, almost purple, and she had bright yellow-green eyes, like that of springtime leaves. Her hair was a striking color of violet that almost hurt her eyes to look at. She had hair framing her face in the form of bangs and two shorter pieces at her temple, and the rest was pulled into a high ponytail that hung to her waist. Sighing at the flatness of her own chest, Narlafayn shut her eyes and shifted her pack.

"I thought you were in genuine trouble." She said, not looking at the Dark Elf. "In any case, can you tell me how far it is to the Dark Elf Vil…" she was cut off as she realized the Dark Elf was squatting on the ground beside her, staring at her legs.

"Wow, what happened to you?" she asked, holding a hand out to the wounds. Narlafayn jumped back, thinking the Elf meant to do something indecent. She held her hands in front of her in a martial arts pose, watching the Elf evenly as she stood. "Oh please. I don't go for girls." She stated haughtily, tossing her hair.

"What do you call earlier then?" Narlafayn questioned, not wavering from her pose. The Dark Elf stared at her evenly and lifted an eyebrow.

"Where did you come from, a monastery? I'm a Dark Elf, nitwit. We're sexy, get it?" she retorted, folding her arms underneath her breasts. The action made them seem bigger, and the bodice strained as it tried to keep them covered.

"I'm…not originally from around here." Narlafayn mumbled, lowering her guard and looking away. "I met a Dark Elf for the first time a few months ago and haven't seen any since."

"Even so, we Dark Elves are everywhere. Where'd you come from, Gracia?" the Dark Elf asked, suddenly crouching behind her again. Narlafayn yelped and attempted to jump away, but the Dark Elf poked one of the worst of her scrapes, causing a jolt of pain to ricochet up her leg and immobilize it. Narlafayn fell over ungracefully, her face hitting the soft mossy ground first. "I'm trying to heal you dammit, stop moving." The Dark Elf grumbled, holding her hands over the wounds. Narlafayn blinked in surprise as a warm feeling washed over the injuries, and the pain subsided. She pushed herself up on her arms to look over her shoulder at the Elf, whom had her eyes shut in concentration. A soft glow emanated from her hands and surrounded the wounds, knitting the injuries together.

As the last injury healed, the Elf let out a breath she'd been holding and sat back, as if the healing had been hard on her. Narlafayn stood, surprised to find her wounds had been fully healed. Feeling awkward, she turned and held a hand out to the elf, attempting a friendly smile at her.

"My name's Narlafayn." She introduced. Her smile turned nervous as the Dark Elf gave her a skeptical look.

"I'm Vuylay." The Dark Elf stated, taking her hand. "Where did you come from anyway? It's odd to see a Light Elf on this side of the mountains." She asked as Narlafayn pulled her to her feet.

"I climbed the mountain." Narlafayn said, pointing towards where she had come from. Vuylay's eyes bugged out and she stared at Narlafayn with mouth agape.

"Impossible! The Light Elves bewitched that mountain to become windy whenever anyone tried to climb it to the point where you were blown off. We used to use it to infiltrate the Forest years ago." Vuylay stated, dumbstruck. Narlafayn looked to the sky thoughtfully, one hand rubbing the back of her head.

"Well, it was awfully windy up there, but nothing strong enough to push me off…" she recalled thoughtfully, more to herself than to Vuylay. She lowered her hand and picked her sword up from where she'd dropped it in the grass. "Anyway, how far is it to the Dark Elven Village? I lost my map up on the mountain, so I'm not exactly sure which direction I'm going in now." She smiled nervously as Vuylay continued to stare at her.

"You're odd. What's an untrained Fighter like yourself wanting to do in the Dark Forest?" Vuylay questioned, shifting from one foot to the other. She sighed and motioned to the expanse of meadow behind her. "The Village is a little over a week's travel from here if you don't have a gatekeeper scroll. However," she added, as Narlafayn eagerly pulled a scroll from her pack, "the bewitchment that you Light Elves placed over this entire land will only transport you back to YOUR village." Narlafayn dropped the scroll as if it were hot. "Honestly, I don't know why you guys try so hard to keep our races apart." Vuylay paused for a moment to think before continuing. "Come to think of it, our race tries to keep us apart just as much. Ah well, I don't get it." She shrugged, and then jumped as Narlafayn had moved from where she stood and was several yards behind her, walking through the meadow. "Hey! Where are you going?" she shouted, her temper flaring.

"To the Dark Elf Village, where else?" Narlafayn replied, not looking at her as she ran to catch up.

"Well I don't know why you want to go there." Vuylay huffed, folding her arms under her breasts again. "I've been trying to save up money to get out myself." She grumbled, making an annoyed face.

"By what, selling your body?" Narlafayn asked, lifting an eyebrow. Vuylay's cheeks turned pink and she looked away from Narlafayn, her eyes momentarily hidden by her bangs.

"That is none of your business." She stated, jutting her nose in the air. "It wouldn't hurt to make a few Dwarven friends. They are full of Adena, after all."

By nightfall, Narlafayn paused under one of the strange willowy trees that dotted the meadow to camp. To her surprise, (and annoyance), Vuylay set up camp with her, and demanded that she share her remaining provisions.

"Why are you following me?" Narlafayn asked, glaring at her as Vuylay dug in her pack.

"Isn't it obvious? You cost me my free ride out of the Dark Forest, so you have to take responsibility and get me out instead." She said in a matter-of-fact voice, her mouth full of jerky. Narlafayn choked on her piece of dried bread.

"I can hardly support myself with the money I make from hunting, let alone a tagalong slacker!" she sputtered, her eyes watering. Vuylay stared at her evenly, her eyelids lowered in annoyance.

"Right, most weak Fighters like you would kill for the chance to have a healer follow them around for free. Don't throw away any blessings Shilen gives you, moron." Vuylay glared, her voice deadpan. Narlafayn echoed her annoyed expression

"From what I hear, if it's a gift from Shilen, I'm supposed to throw it off a cliff, into the Sea of Spores after I've beaten it half to death with a spiked club and set it on fire." She said, her voice also deadpan.

"What do you mean 'from what you hear'?" Vuylay demanded, sitting up straight and slamming a fist into the ground next to her. "If it weren't for that jealous Einhasad, our poor goddess would still be in charge of Water, and your cowardly goddess would be happily tittering away on her lute somewhere!" Vuylay's rage was brought up short as Narlafayn gave her a blank stare. Narlafayn then tilted her head and put a thoughtful finger to her chin and made a pondering noise. "Stop that!" Vuylay snarled, her appearance growing ragged with her annoyance.

"No, I thought Shilen seduced her own father, so she deserved that punishment for betraying her mother." Narlafayn said, still thoughtful. Rage subsiding, Vuylay gave her a skeptical look, confused by her reaction to the insult on Eva and Einhasad.

"What are you talking about, Gran Kain seduced Shilen. Our goddess, in her naiveté then, followed her father until she became pregnant. Einhasad discovered their affair then, and cast her daughter out, believing the lies of Grain Kain of how he was seduced instead of being the seducer." Vuylay reclined until her back rested against the tree. "It still baffles me as to why some of the Hierarchs still worship Gran Kain after he so easily abandoned Shilen under the wrath of Einhasad. Although, he is the father of the Abyss, if it weren't for him, Shilen wouldn't be who she is today, our powerful dark goddess." Narlafayn grunted at the end of her story, causing Vuylay to cast another glare. "What's with you? You should be offended by that story, not interested." She said, frowning.

"I'm not from around here, remember? I could care less about what god did what to whom with what body parts and whatever psychological issues." Narlafayn stated, waving a hand. "It doesn't concern me one bit." She jumped as Vuylay darted forward and clamped a hand around her mouth.

"Shh! Don't speak like that!" she said, her voice lowered to a hissing whisper. "It's said the gods, although weak from their last war of heaven against the abyss, amuse themselves by playing with our lives." She pulled her hand away from Narlafayn's face slowly, staring hard into her eyes. "Do not call un-needed attention to yourself by challenging their authority." She sat back slowly; her eyes shut for a moment and took a breath before regaining her previous haughty air. "If you're not from around here, then where _are_ you from?" She tensed up again as Narlafayn stared into the small campfire they'd made, unresponsive. "Don't ignore me!" she snapped.

I'm not ignoring you." Narlafayn stated with a sigh. "It's just odd, I haven't been in this world for very long yet, but I can't remember the name of my home." She stretched her arms over her head for a moment before flopping backwards heavily. "There were different kinds of people there though…no 'Dark Elves' and 'Light Elves', just one race called Elvaan which seemed to be a cross of both races. No Orcs or Dwarves either. Instead there was this cat race…"

"You mean like the Ol Mahum?" Vuylay interjected, raising an eyebrow. "Although, they're more canine than feline…"

"The what?" Narlafayn asked, puzzled.

"Never mind." Vuylay stated, waving her hand in dismissal. "In any case, are you sure you just weren't bewitched somewhere? I've heard that happens sometimes, people have really long dreams and think they're in another world when really they're just enchanted. Sometimes they say the Sea of Spores sickness does the same thing."

"I wasn't enchanted." Narlafayn said defensively, raising her head to glare at Vuylay. "Don't believe me if you don't want to, but I'm not lying." She rolled onto her side to glare into the grass stubbornly. "I know it wasn't a dream." In a lower tone of voice she added, "I know _he_ wasn't a dream." The thought of being enchanted left her with a panicked feeling, after all it would make sense as to why Glarawen knew her if she were nothing more than an amnesiac after recovering from a mind altering spell.

"Oho, he?" Vuylay stated slyly from beside her, peering over Narlafayn's shoulder to look at her face. "Who's he?" she asked silkily, a teasing smirk crossing her face. Narlafayn's eyes widened for a moment, and she was sure her cheeks were turning pink.

"You're hearing things, I didn't say 'he.'" She grumbled, shutting her eyes firmly. "Sleeping now, good night."

"Aw, don't be like that, who's he?" Vuylay asked persistently, lying over Narlafayn's side. "C'mon, I'll share my secrets with you too~" she urged, wiggling her rear and rubbing herself un-seductively against Narlafayn's arm.

"You don't strike me as the type to have any real secrets." Narlafayn grumbled, trying to ignore her. Vuylay paused for a minute before pushing harder on Narlafayn, rolling her onto her stomach in a form of a pin by utilizing the volume of her breasts.

"Don't be so mean! Of course I have secrets! I have good secrets that nobody will ever hear, and here I am willing to share them with you~" Vuylay whined. Narlafayn groaned under her weight and began kicking her legs. "Was he your lover? Your crush? A family member? Ne, come on, tell me!" she urged, rolling on Narlafayn slightly.

"Get off me and go to sleep!" Narlafayn shouted with all of her might.

"Why are you traveling to my Village again?" Vuylay asked, five days later. Narlafayn sighed and shifted her pack, exhausted with trying to think of new ways to answer Vuylay's questions. She would ask the same thing day in and out, as if dissatisfied with the answer Narlafayn had provided. "Come on, you can't just be traveling for your own health. It's way too far of a journey for someone as weak as you." She prodded, leaning over slightly to look at Narlafayn in the face as she walked next to her.

"How many more times am I going to have to answer that question?" Narlafayn responded shortly, the corners of her eyes twitching in annoyance.

"Until I get an honest answer." Vuylay stated simply, smirking. Narlafayn sighed in exasperation and stopped, clenching her hands into fists.

"I'm intrigued by Dark Elves, alright?" she snapped. Her rage subsided as if someone had doused a roaring flame with a water spell and she raised a hand to cover her mouth.

"Houu…" Vuylay said with a grin. "So the truth finally emerges." She stood upright and stretched, satisfied with herself. "I figured it was something like that. You're so different from most Light Elves, so it's really no surprise. So Miss Narla fancies herself some gray skin, hmm? How interesting. Not every day a Light Elf craves the darkness."

"I…I didn't mean that!" Narlafayn said, flustered.

"Uh-huh." Vuylay stated, amused. "The truth always comes out sooner or later." She paused by a red tent near a rock outcropping. A Dark Elf sat within it, tanning leather. "Well, now that I finally got you to snap, let's go into town, shall we?" she grinned, then turned and began walking towards a cave mouth in the rock wall.

"Wait…wait a second…" Narlafayn started, jogging after her. "When did we get close to the Village? You said it was a week's travel!"

"I lied." Vuylay stated smoothly, waving to the female guards stationed on either side of the cave opening. They ignored Narlafayn as if it were as natural for her to be there as it was Vuylay. "We were really a day's worth of travel, but I took you in circles until I got the truth out of you." She glanced over at Narlafayn to smirk. "Silly little girl, you should've studied up on the Dark Elf Village a little better. You were expecting something above ground, weren't you." Narlafayn stopped walking to glare at the back of the Dark Elf's head.

"You evil...conniving…potato-brea…" Narlafayn began, seething

"Ah-ah…be nice now. You wouldn't have been able to get past the sentries if you hadn't had me as your companion. We're not so trusting to let some random Light Elf into our Village when they feel like traveling in." Vuylay said in a tone used to talk to children. "Don't give me that look, it was for your own good. Now you know why you wanted to come here, right?" Vuylay spoke as if she knew Narlafayn better than Narlafayn knew herself, and it irritated her.

"Get away from me." Narlafayn glowered, walking ahead of her. She walked briskly down a tunnel that opened up into a large cavern. The Dark Elves Village resembled the Light Elf Village in architecture; only it was darker, more gothic in coloring. Shadows seemed prominent everywhere, the only light coming from strange pillars that had glowing blue diamonds positioned at the top At the center of the Village, where the Young Mother tree would be in the Light Elf Village, was a large hand jutting out, posed as if reaching for the sky that was blocked from view. Energy flowed from the stone fingertips, a blue-rimmed ball of black light swirling above it and casting a starlight image across the top of the cavern. Curious, Narlafayn approached it and peered through the fence under her feet, surrounding the hand. She yelped as she saw large statue of a woman stood underneath it, her expression forlorn, as if she yearned for the sky. She wore a strange, pointed headdress, and her feet disappeared into black water several hundred feet below.

"That's a normal reaction our Shilen statue, I'm afraid." Vuylay stated, catching Narlafayn as her foot got caught in the fencing and tripped her. "She's quite beautiful, isn't she?" she said, gazing down at Shilen's sad face wistfully.

"You're strange…" Narlafayn said, giving Vuylay a skeptical look.

"You want strange, try meeting some half-breeds I've been acquainted with." Vuylay said, giving Narlafayn an even look. "Then you'll really know strange. Anyway, come on to my house, you can stay there until you've had your fill of Dark Elf life, then we'll get going." She said, helping Narlafayn to her feet.

"What's this 'we' business again?" Narlafayn said more than asked in a warning tone.

"Oh you know…taking me out of the village like we agreed on…" Vuylay said smoothly, leading her towards a cluster of houses.

"You mean YOU agreed on, I don't remember agreeing on such a thing…" Narlafayn protested, puffing her cheeks out. A vein of annoyance popped out on her temple as Vuylay ignored her and began to rattle on about where she wanted to go first once she left the village. She sighed, defeated for the moment and allowed herself to be pulled through town.

Narlafayn stayed with Vuylay for several days at the request of her mother, Harne. She learned a bit about the Dark Elves side of history, as Harne was eager to tell an open-minded Light Elf everything she knew. She found that Dark Elves fit into two categories, the bloodthirsty kind and the kind that wanted to experience all that life had to offer. Vuylay, Dasniall, Harne and Harant seemed to be more of the second, but there were plenty of assassins whom watched Narlafayn with hard gazes. She also learned that many Dark Elves were highly superstitious of things that did not fit into what they knew as normal, and would treat that which they did not understand with scorn.

There was another Light Elf living in the village, and Humans and Dwarves seemed to pass through regularly, much to Narlafayn's surprise. The Dark Elves weren't nearly as closed off and xenophobic as the Light Elves, and most were completely open to the chance of speaking with strangers. The Dark Elves also seemed very open with personal relationships, and more than once Narlafayn entered the house to find Harne or Harant 'busy' with someone they'd just said hi to outside. In comparison, Vuylay was much more subdued than everyone else, almost to the point of being a prude. She seemed to enjoy seducing more than the actual act, as Narlafayn never saw her disappear with any of the 'subjects' she'd randomly choose.

"Yuck, there she goes again." A white-haired dark elf Narlafayn had learned was named Hyakurin said one day in disgust. She stood next to the only other Light Elf in the town, known by the name of Tera, watching Vuylay as she flirted with a human who'd just entered the village.

"I guess the only thing she can seduce now are Humans and Dwarves." Tera snickered. Hyakurin held a hand over her mouth to hide her grin. Temper flaring, Narlafayn squared her shoulders and faced the pair. Vuylay may have been a pest on more than one occasion, but she didn't deserve such treatment.

"What's wrong with Vuylay?" she asked, her voice challenging. Two pairs of eyes looked at her in surprise, as if they hadn't noticed her there before.

"Everything!" Tera exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air.

"That doesn't tell me anything." Narlafayn grumbled, as Tera didn't continue. Hyakurin sighed and adjusted the strange webbed hands that seemed to spring out from her blue armor and cover her breasts.

"You're new here obviously. Vuylay is, how shall we say, odd. Her mother was rumored to be something not from this world, as while she was pregnant she showed no signs of wounds when injured, and didn't seem to get sick, even when exposed to the poison gasses from the Sea of Spores. Her skin even started to look brown again, can you believe that?" Hyakurin said in one breath, giving Narlafayn an exasperated look. Narlafayn stared at her blankly, her mind trying to recall what she'd been told about the Sea of Spores.

According to the Magisters, it had once been the Elven Forest, where the Dark Elves and Light Elves lived together. There had been a large Mother Tree there, but due to a war with the Humans, the land had been ruined. The Light Elves had used forbidden magic to put an end to the fighting and in turn cursed their own forest to be a land of fungus and poisonous gas. The Humans, in turn, had eventually erected a magical barrier to keep the fungus from spreading, but it seemed to be futile. The Elves, after the war, retreated into the Elven Forest she now knew, and had cut it off from visitors by using magic to form the mountain range around it. After the internal fight with the Dark Elves, they had further cut themselves off by growing the mountain range between the Dark Forest and Elven Forest.

"She wasn't much better after she was born." Hyakurin huffed, drawing Narlafayn's attention out of her thoughts. "Her mother finally left the town, good riddance, but for some reason she left her here. Magister Harne and Master Harant are the only two to ever show any affection to that creature." Hyakurin looked at Narlafayn seriously and leaned her head in close. "They say she channels the spirits of the dead!" Narlafayn blinked and burst into laughter at the seriousness of Hyakurin's expression.

"How in the world could someone assume something like that? What, do her eyes glow red? Does her head spin in a full circle? What constitutes being possessed by spirits?" Narlafayn asked, not masking her mirth. Tera and Hyakurin looked at her in surprise, shocked by her tone of voice.

"I didn't believe it at first until I'd seen it myself." Tera said, her voice low. "But she starts screaming sometimes, as if injured gravely, or becomes quiet in the middle of conversation and just stares into nothing."

"She's never taken anyone to bed either." Hyakurin added, her voice also low. Narlafayn stared at her for a moment before clamping her jaw shut and snorting with a repressed burst of laughter. Hyakurin took a step back, as if offended by it.

"What's so odd about that? So what! I've never taken anyone to bed myself, does that make me possessed by evil spirits?" Narlafayn laughed, holding her stomach. The laughter stopped almost as immediately as it started as she remembered Rasta in the other world. _At least, not in this world…_ she added to herself. She jumped as a loud scream sounded from behind a house, and turned quickly to face the direction it had come from.

"See, there she goes again." Tera stated, folding her arms over her chest. Eyes wide, Narlafayn glanced quickly at the pair before dashing off towards the house. As she rounded the corner, a small crowd had gathered, Vuylay and a shocked human at its center. No one moved to help her as she lay in a fetal position on the ground, shivering. Narlafayn dashed to Vuylay's side and knelt, gently taking her by the shoulders and lifting her up to a sit.

"Vuylay?" Narlafayn asked, staring at her face in worry. The Dark Elf's skin had turned paler than usual, giving her the color of paper. She clutched her wrist to her chest, and stared into space, her eyes twitching. "Vuylay, answer me." Narlafayn stated, waving her hand in front of her eyes. Vuylay suddenly tensed up again and screamed, holding her arm straight out. She kicked her legs against the ground as if struggling against invisible torturers.

"That elf is touching the cursed one!" someone said from the crowd.

"Doesn't she realize that you'll be cursed too?" another responded in a whisper. Memories of a similar time when people whispered and taunted her flashed through her inner eye, Narlafayn stood quickly, lifting Vuylay with her.

"Some people just fear that which is better than themselves. Come on Vuylay, lets get out of this rancid air." Narlafayn declared loudly, escorting Vuylay through the crowd and towards the tunnel leading above ground. Vuylay walked silently, her body tense and clammy to Narlafayn's touch. She glanced at her in worry, and found her staring hard at the ground, as if enduring extreme pain. Once out of the Dark Elven Village, she sat Vuylay down by the nearby red tent they had passed days prior. "Are you ok?" Narlafayn asked seriously, watching Vuylay's expression.

"Why are you doing this?" Vuylay whispered, holding her wrist to her chest again. Narlafayn gave her a puzzled expression.

"Doing what?" she asked, feeling slightly offended. "I'm helping you. Didn't you want to get out of that village anyway?"

"Stop this, please. Do you take pleasure in knowing I hurt?" Vuylay whispered again, tears falling from her eyes. It took Narlafayn a moment to realize that Vuylay was not speaking to her, and continued whispering inaudibly to the air.

"She has a condition…" a voice came from behind her. Narlafayn turned quickly to find Magister Harne and her brother holding two well-stocked travel packs. "…A condition that no one understands." She handed Narlafayn the two packs, and then knelt by Vuylay, placing a gentle hand on her cheek.

"Please, take her from this place." Harant requested, giving Vuylay a pitying look. "She doesn't belong here."

"Don't get us wrong, we love Vuylay as if she were our own." Harne said to Narlafayn's disbelieving look. "We don't have enough power to evaporate the cruelty she faces. Our race is stuck within the boundaries of superstition, Vuylay deserves better than that."

"She tries hard to fit herself into the stereotype we Dark Elves have set for ourselves, but there's just something about her that will never fit into that mold." Harant added, putting a hand on Harne's shoulder. "She's…. better than us somehow." Harne looked down, as if ashamed of herself and placed a hand over her brothers.

"Not fitting into a mold, huh? I can relate to that." Narlafayn said quietly, remembering how the teachers in the Elven Village would scold her for acting more human than Elf. She was often told the same thing in the other world, although she couldn't remember who it was who had said it. "Fine, but I can't promise her anything better. I have to go back to the Elven Village… and I know a few people who won't be too happy to see a Dark Elf there…" she said grimly, wincing at how Mune might react. Securing her shield to her pack, she somehow managed to get Vuylay to carry hers and helped the still incoherent Dark Elf to her feet.

"Thank you." Harne said, her eyes misting over. She put her fingertips to her mouth as she watched them slowly walk away. "Follow the mountains south, you should find the path that you crossed over with." She said, taking one hand away to point in the direction they should travel.

"Thank you Narlafayn." Harant said this time, bowing to her slightly. "May Shilen's grace guide you."

"The sentiment is nice, but I think I'll stick it out without her help." Narlafayn stated bitterly as she walked away from the pair. It was beginning to seem to her that the gods had very little influence on their creations lives despite all of the loyalty and prayers that were offered to them.

Vuylay dragged herself along for several hours after they had left before recovering. It took her a day before she returned to some semblance of her old self. Narlafayn did not ask what had been the problem, as Vuylay visibly tensed whenever the thread of casual conversation seemed to turn towards any questions pertaining to it. The trip back to the Elven Village was much shorter, now that Vuylay wasn't purposely leading them in circles.

"What is that?" Mune asked the moment Narlafayn entered the Village with Vuylay at her side nearly two weeks later. She stared at Vuylay with large eyes, one finger extended.

"Be careful, I might be tempted to bite that finger off." Vuylay said icily, folding her arms across her chest. Mune withdrew her hand as if burned, and glared.

"Mune, this is Vuylay. She'll be staying with me for a little while." Narlafayn introduced, ignoring Vuylay. Mune's glare turned into an expression of disbelief and she began to stutter.

"Oh yay! Someone new!" a silvery-pink haired elf stated happily, throwing herself over Mune's shoulders. "Great! We can have a party tonight! Let's make it a picnic under the Mother Tree, I'm sure she'd be happy for the company!" she grinned widely, wrapping her arms around Mune's neck in what appeared to be a tight hug.

"I see you're back from Gludio, Cesa. How'd it go?" Narlafayn asked, amused. Mune began to flail, her face turning ashen from her elder sister's grip. Lavinia was the eldest of the family, followed by a brother that Narlafayn had yet to meet. Cesa, a healer that had just returned from her pilgrimage to Gludio to be promoted from Elven Mystic to Oracle came next in birth order, followed by Mune, who was the youngest. Cesa had left not long after Narlafayn had arrived, and she didn't know the girl well other than she really seemed to enjoy trees. The short while she had been in the Village, Cesa had spent her time under the Mother Tree, chattering away happily to it.

"Cesa, I think Mune's calmed down enough to let her go." Lavinia stated, walking towards them with an open book. Cesa looked curiously at Mune, who was turning a deep plum color and slumping in her grasp, before giggling and releasing her. Mune fell to her knees with a gasp and sat for a moment until the world stopped spinning. "Welcome back Narlafayn. I take it your visit to the Dark Elf Village went well, as you've brought us a souvenir." Lavinia stated professionally, turning towards her.

"Souvenir?" Vuylay asked in disbelief, her mouth dropping open slightly.

The rest of the night was a miniature roller coaster ride for Narlafayn, as she spent most of the evening running from Mune's wrath at 'betraying her kind' by bringing a Dark Elf into the village. She collapsed into bed heavily with one arm draped over her eyes and sighed deeply, thankful for the comfort of the mattress.

"Good night." Vuylay said as she rolled onto the bed next to her. Narlafayn sat up quickly to find a partially nude Vuylay snuggling under the sheet, her back facing Narlafayn.

"Who said you could sleep here?" Narlafayn asked defensively, pushing on Vuylay.

"Me. It's safer in here from that psychopath in Elven guise than it is on that couch you guys gave me." Vuylay mumbled stubbornly. Narlafayn sighed in defeat, too tired to fight for her bed, and settled on the other side, her own back facing Vuylay. _It shouldn't matter for too much longer, _she assured herself; _Vuylay will get tired of dealing with Mune and move on by herself. _Momentarily comforted by this thought, Narlafayn relaxed and drifted off to sleep.

Sayha, the god of the air, stood on the peak of the highest mountain in the entire continent, watching the clouds rush past below him. The golden helmet that he usually wore to conceal his face from view sat at his feet, and his silver-white hair whipped around him furiously in the wind. Two large wings sat on his back, folded peacefully despite the fierce wind that blew, and a strange robe that seemed like pants yet not sat at his waist. His chest was bare, and upon his right shoulder was a strange pointed shoulder guard. Right above a simple feathered necklace that rested at his collarbone was a puckered, jagged scar, the only thing that marred his otherwise perfect beauty. His frighteningly gorgeous visage was the main reason why he wore the helmet, as his beauty was so great that one could not look at him for long without fearing him, not even his mother Einhasad. The only one who could stare at him without flinching was his sister Shilen, and for that he visited her in her sealed prison frequently.

A hand drifted to the scar adorning his neck as he stared thoughtfully into the clouds. He had ventured down from the heavens to watch his child, something he did often, albeit in secret, when the strange Light Elf who spoke to him as if he were equal to her had approached him. She reminded him of someone from long ago, although that person had been dead for years. There was something else too, something that made the scar on his neck throb with phantom pain, but he could not identify it. He had no choice; he had to go speak to Shilen about it, even though it pained him to do so. Shilen would most definitely want to toy with this Light Elf in the never-ending game she had created for herself, and it worried him since this Light Elf was now taking care of his child. He had taken drastic measures to assure that Shilen would not harm his daughter any more than she already had; reminding her of the child's existence was not the best idea he had come up with.

He shut his eyes, trying to compose his will, his hand still touching the scar. A pretty Light Elf from his memories smiled kindly at him in his minds eye, and held a strange crystallized flower that once grew all over Aden up to him. The flower had gone extinct in the war between Elves and Humans, and now only grew within the center of his citadel. The memory was replaced with that of clashed swords, and Sayha opened his eyes slowly. Will steeled, he spread his wings gracefully and leapt into the air, taking to the wind and riding it towards his sister's temple. He did not want to involve his child in the games of Shilen any more, but he did not like the uneasy feeling he had at that moment. Something had to be done about that Light Elf, and he knew Shilen would know what.


	4. Chapter 4

_In Which Narlafayn ventures down into the Elven Fortress in search of poetry and Vuylay fails at flirting_

"Tell me again why we're doing this?"

Narlafayn sighed heavily and paused to look over her shoulder at the frowning Dark Elf behind her.

"No one asked you to come along." She said airily, turning away and resuming her brisk walk down the trodden dirt path leading through the Elven Forest. "Sentinel Starden asked me to retrieve the poetry pages from the Elven Fortress, not you. You could've stayed in town until I returned."

"Like I'd want to be within sword distance of that blonde schizoid." Vuylay grumbled, referring to Mune. It had been more than a month since Narlafayn had returned from her trek into the Dark Forest, but Mune's dislike of Dark Elves ran as strong as ever. Much to the relief of everyone's nerves, Lavinia was ready to begin her journey to become a Wizard, and planned on taking Mune with her. With Mune's temper, she had long since become a Knight due to her excellence in battle, but stuck close to home saying it was embarrassing to go out into the world as the youngest when her elder sisters had not yet left.

"Fine, just stick close to me; I'm not exactly sure what we'll find down there." Narlafayn sighed. The Elven Fortress had once been an important military stronghold during the two major wars the Light Elves had been involved with, but during the war with the Dark Elves a great fire had swept through it, destroying everything and killing those unfortunate enough to not get out. Sentinel Starden, one of the guards stationed at one of the three entrances into the village, had told her a sad tale of a friend who had died during the war. The friend was a poet, he had said, and had been working on a poem when the fire broke out. He had recovered most of the pages of the poem, but there were still some left that the Baraq Orcs, who took up residence in the fortress not long after the fire, had confiscated. Moved by his tale, Narlafayn had promised she would go down into the fortress to retrieve the pages, but on the trip there, began to wonder if she were really strong enough to handle whatever laid in the depths of the underground stronghold.

The distance between the Village and the Fortress was nearly as far as it was to the mountain range dividing the two elf lands. Narlafayn finally arrived at the entrance into the Fortress, weary from putting up with Vuylay's complaints over a week later. A distracted-looking Light Elf sat off to the side of the Fortress' entrance, staring into space. Bored from having only Narlafayn as a companion, Vuylay zeroed in on him and was at his side in an instant.

"Why hello there." She said in her familiar seductive tone. She sat down gracefully next to him and leaned in close. "What brings you to sit all the way out here?" she purred, bumping his shoulder with her own and giving him a sultry smile.

"Vuylay, we don't have time for you to flirt." Narlafayn grumbled, putting her hands on her hips. Vuylay turned away from her and waved her hand in the air as if dismissing her.

"Changed my mind, don't wanna go in there with you after all." She said airily before returning her attention to the man. Narlafayn's shoulders tensed as she struggled to control the string of acid retorts she wished to fire at Vuylay for abandoning her after following her that far. Now that they were at the fortress, she really could use Vuylay's healing assistance, as the few walking mushrooms and Kaboo Orc Grunts they fought on their way there hadn't really been strong enough to injure her.

"Fine, I didn't want you to come with me anyway." Narlafayn decided to say, turning away and sticking her nose in the air. Taking on an indignant air, she marched into the fortress and down the ramp that led in.

Pausing before entering the room, she noticed that torches had been lit on the walls, casting the room in bright light. Nothing looked fire-scarred, and it puzzled her. Broken relics and chairs were scattered here and there, and dark red stains were spattered about the floor, but there were absolutely no signs of a fire. There was a loud shout, and Narlafayn looked up quickly to find a squat Baraq Orc Warrior coming at her with his sword raised. She fumbled for her own weapon, lifting her shield to block the blow as it came down on her. The Orc's sword pinged off of the metal of her shield, but the force from his blow caused her to stumble. The Orc shouted again as it stabbed at her, but she parried his blow and shoved her sword towards his exposed abdomen. His body was more muscular than the Kaboo Orcs that lived above ground, and he managed to smack her away before she could stab deep enough. Stumbling to the ground, she caught her balance and righted herself in time to realize that she had left her sword embedded in the Orc's side. The Orc pulled the sword from his skin effortlessly, tossing it aside as he advanced on her with a growl. She stared wide-eyed at her weapon at where the Orc had dropped it. Focusing upon the glinting metal, she dove for it, dodging the downward swing the Orc aimed for her and rolling to her feet as she grabbed the hilt. Not pausing after standing again, she crouched and darted towards the Orc, her speed giving her enough momentum to stab the Orc deep within his chest He growled and gurgled, and Narlafayn twisted her sword, praying the action would cut something vital and put him out of his misery. Her prayer was answered it seemed, and the Orc slumped over her shoulder, unmoving. She stood back, withdrawing her sword and allowing the Orc to fall heavily to the ground. Blood pooled around its body, and she stepped back from it, momentarily horrified by the sight of it. Finally noticing that their comrade had fallen, two more Orcs cried out and ran towards her, swords raised. Taking a breath, Narlafayn shook the Orc's blood from her sword before going battle stance and charging towards the Orcs.

"So Northwind…" Vuylay said, her voice still in a sultry tone. "Do you come here often?" She was cuddled close to him under a tree near the Fortress, running a finger up his arm. He had moved from his spot near the Fortress' entrance and invited her to sit near him, but still had the dazed expression on his face, as if he weren't really there.

"I live here. The fortress is my home." He said in a distracted tone. Vuylay frowned for a moment and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Don't be silly, this is a dangerous place for someone to live. Tell me where you really live." She said, regaining her seductive appeal. The sounds of battle faintly met her ears, and her insides twanged in guilt at not accompanying Narlafayn. _I'm sure she'll call for me if she needs me. _Vuylay told herself firmly, snuggling closer to Northwind.  
"This is where I live." Northwind insisted, staring into the forest. Opening her mouth to protest that he was teasing her, she moved in close and placed her hand over his, then withdrew it quickly, finding his skin ice cold. She stared at him for a moment, then at her hand and wiggled her fingers. _That can't be right… _she thought, puzzling over the sensation. _It's hot and humid out here, there's no way his hand can be that cold. I must've put it on a rock or something._ Pushing it aside, she once again forced herself to regain her sultry act and gave him a coy look.

Meanwhile, down in the Fortress, Narlafayn knelt to the ground and panted, covered in scratches and sticky with sweat. She had finally made it across the first room, and had killed all the Baraq Orcs that had taken up residence in there. She found the pages easily; they were rolled up and stuck near a vase that she found was being used as a toilet. No doubt the Orcs were using any manuscripts they found as toilet paper; she had been lucky to get there before Starden's friends poetry got ruined the next time the Orcs had to relieve themselves.

Taking a deep breath she pushed herself to her feet again and moved through the tiny cornered hallway into the next room. She halted as quickly as she entered and plastered her back against the wall, her eyes large with shock. All over the floor of this next room were skeletons. Some still wore quivers, some had swords gripped in their bony hands. A strange, raspy breathing emanated through the air in this room, but Narlafayn could not pinpoint its source. Common sense told her to retreat and go back to town now that she had gained what she had come for, but her curiosity took full control over her actions and urged her to head deeper into the fortress. It intrigued her as to why Starden had told her the Fortress had been burned when there weren't any signs of a fire at all. Finding her backbone, Narlafayn squared her shoulders and began walking briskly towards the hallway at the other end of the room, trying not to look at the skeletons.

She looked curiously at the room around her, taking in the architecture. It was as big as a ballroom, and had four doorways that led into darkened halls set into the walls on either side of her, two on each side. She didn't notice the sword-holding skeletons slowly twitch and raise up, dust from their grinding bones falling silently to the marbled floor. They followed after her, their bones rattling with each step, bony arms raising their swords high above their heads.

Ahead of her, the shadows lining the hallway stirred, and Narlafayn screeched to a halt, gasping and startled. A Dark Elf with blue-gray hair only a little darker than his skin emerged, his arms folded across his chest, holding a staff in one hand.

"Behind you." He said in a deep voice. Narlafayn turned quickly just as one of the skeletons brought its sword down. Like with the Orc, she raised her shield quickly enough to block the blow. She fell onto her bottom from the force of the hit this time, and stared in shock at her shield, which had been cut from the skeletons sword as if it were made from leather. She winced and held her sword arm over her eyes, knowing that there was no way to win the battle.

A gust of wind blew from beside her, and she looked over in surprise to see the Dark Elf casting a wind spell and firing it at the skeletons with incredible ease. They dropped as if they were made of toothpicks, their bones scattering across the floor.

"Uh…thanks…" Narlafayn stated in awe, while pushing herself to her feet. He nodded once at her, and began walking down the hallway towards the back room. She watched him go with a frown and turned to face the ballroom, contemplating on trekking back through before the skeletons reanimated themselves again.

"Come." She heard him say, and turned to find him looking over his shoulder at her patiently. A tiny smile forming, she trotted after him like an eager child.

"Oh hey, someone else!" a human girl said with a grin as Narlafayn entered the room at the end of the hallway. She was dressed in heavy bronze armor and wielded a large sword. Next to her stood a light elf she'd seen in town before. He held a simple wooden bow and had a quiver half full of arrows on his back. Unsure as to what was expected of her, she blinked, clueless, at the trio before her and scratched the side of her nose.

"The skeletons will re-form soon, get ready." The Light Elf stated, pulling an arrow from his quiver. The Dark Elf stood to the back of the room, his arms folded over his chest once again, and his head lowered. He watched them through the top of his eyes intently, and Narlafayn felt herself growing awkward under his stare.

"Don't worry about the strength of the skeletons. He's been keeping us healed while we fight." The human stated good-naturedly, drawing her sword. "We're not exactly sure why either, he just came into the fortress randomly while we were fighting those skeletons back there. Good thing he did too, we were in a little over our heads." The skeletons at their feet began to twitch and draw back together. "Get ready." The girl said, taking on a determined stance. Next to her the Light Elf drew his bow taught, his arrow ready. Shrugging, Narlafayn went into stance herself, ready for the fight.

Outside, Vuylay had given up flirting with Northwind and now just sat next to him in silence, listening to the locusts chirp in the trees. He was strange, every answer he gave her was either too cryptic to make any sense, or something completely off the subject of conversation.

She watched as a pair of Elven fighters wandered past, on their way into the Fortress. One appeared to be a magic user and carried a book, while the other had a dagger sheathed on her belt. They chattered to themselves, and paid no attention to Vuylay and Northwind, lost in their carefree gossip. She blew her bangs from her eyes, finding the travelers high-pitched voices annoying. Her keen eyes picked up movement from the shadows of the trees, and Vuylay saw a Dark Elf step out from behind the trunk of one and pull out a metal plated bow. He loaded an arrow into it and fired it in one movement, hitting the magic user square in the back. Vuylay gasped and scrambled to stand, her back pressed against the tree as the Dark Elf fired another arrow, hitting the dagger user before she realized her companion had been taken down. The arrowhead protruded from the front of the dagger user's chest, causing a scream to bubble up in Vuylay's throat. The Dark Elf ran past her without a word, ignoring her existence, and darted into the Fortress like a shadow of death.

"Oh god…" Vuylay breathed, dread settling in her chest. "Narlafayn's in there. Northwind, is there any way to get back to the village quickly for help?" she asked, looking down at the elf.

"Whatever for? It'll be wonderful to have company after so long…" Northwind stated, his voice raspy. Vuylay finally screamed, as Northwind's handsome face had seemingly rotted away to become a still fleshy skeleton, his blonde hair still fully attached to the top of his skull. She dashed away from the Fortress as he reached for her hand, and down the path towards the Village, sobs trying to force their way out of her lungs as she ran. She yelped as she collided with a warm body that caught her before she fell backwards onto the ground

"Vuylay?" the male voice stated in surprise, and Vuylay looked up quickly before her eyes widened in shock.

"You!" she exclaimed, relief flooding her body.

Narlafayn stood and wiped her arm across her forehead, taking a breath. Battling skeletons had been intense, but they finally lay at their feet once more, their bones scattered. The Light Elf explained that, if they could manage to grind enough of the skeletons bones into dust, then they would no longer reanimate, and finally move on into the afterlife. He seemed just as baffled as Narlafayn as to why everyone insisted the Fortress went down in a fire, when it was painfully obvious that nothing had burned.

"Dark Magic…" the Dark Elf stated during their conversation. Now seated on the floor, the trio looked up at him curiously. His eyes were shut and he leaned against the wall, relaxing. "My ancestors summoned the demons from the Abyss into this fortress in revenge against the Light Elves. The fire was started in the lowest level to destroy Dagoniel, but didn't spread." Narlafayn and the others had fallen silent and stared in disbelief at the Dark Elf, unsure of how to take this new spin on the history of the Fortress. The other Light Elf let out a nervous chuckle, which the girl echoed.

"Well, they should be piecing themselves back together now…" The Light Elf stated, clearing his throat as he stood. The instant he pushed himself to his feet, an arrow sliced through the air and through his neck. The human screamed and scrambled to her feet as the elf fell, his eyes open and staring. Before Narlafayn could fully draw her sword, the Dark Elf whom Vuylay had seen came into view and sent another arrow through the human. He then aimed his next at Narlafayn, who stared back at him unflinching, even though her hands shook.

"Why are you doing this?" she managed to ask bravely. "What have we done to you?" The Dark Elf that had been assisting them seemed to have disappeared, and she cursed inwardly.

"Tell Phuong that the First clan shall live forever!" the Dark Elf holding the bow said in a high-pitched voice, and laughed shrilly as he let his arrow fly. Narlafayn moved enough so that it pierced her above her right breast, instead of through the heart where it had been aimed. She flew backwards and hit the wall, clutching the arrow and groaning loudly. The Dark Elf tsked and put another arrow into his bow, stepping in close to her and aiming for her head.

"I don't know any Phuong!" she managed to choke out. A coppery taste filled her mouth and she spat it out. "I just came down here to retrieve something!" She stared up, trying to plead with him. The gaze he returned was cold and hard, and he smirked.

"Guess you were in the wrong place at the wrong time then." He said, his voice a low growl. "Pity." Narlafayn squinted her eyes shut until she felt a whoosh of air. Looking up wearily, she found the Dark Elf that had assisted her earlier standing in the hallway that extended off one side of the room, casting magic. He cast a spell that put the Dark Elf archer to sleep, and drew a dagger with a jagged blade from the inside of his robes. Without a word, he darted forward and stabbed the archer deep within his gut, pushing the blade outwards and dissecting him. Narlafayn shut her eyes and looked away as the archer let out a choked, watery groan before falling to the ground, blood and things Narlafayn didn't want to think about splattering to the stone floor before his body. The Dark Elf mage gave Narlafayn a dark smirk before turning and running through the room in the direction that led out, leaving her just as the skeletons began to move once more.

Narlafayn's vision blurred and her hearing became deafened as she sat there, her blood pouring out of the exit wound in her back. It was fast becoming hard to breathe, and she was growing dizzy quickly. A sob attempted to escape her body, but there was too much liquid in the way and she choked. _Am I going to die again? _She wept silently to herself, remembering her last minutes with Rasta. A short burst of hope surged through her and she thought, _would I return to that other place if I do die? _

She fell over heavily onto her side, her eyes unfocused and staring ahead of her. Footsteps that sounded as if she were listening through water pounded down the hallway towards her, and she heard someone shout her name in shock. There was a brief moment where all she could hear were spells being fired, and then there was a bright light. It burned her eyes and she winced, finding the strength suddenly to push herself back up and rub her face. She blinked in confusion for a moment before the concerned faces of Vuylay and Glarawen came into focus in front of her.

"Glara!" she cried, falling forward and latching onto the Elder. Dasniall stood nearby, tsking at the body of the ranger. The human sat against the wall, dazed but alive.

"Gee, I'm happy to see you too." Vuylay said in an annoyed tone. Still hugging Glarawen, Narlafayn went into an instant glare.

"You were the one who let me come in here alone, why should I be happy to see you?" she asked icily, releasing Glarawen.

"Now now…" Glarawen attempted gently, holding up a hand.

"As if having me with you would've made a difference. You're lucky I stayed behind, otherwise we'd all be down here dead." Vuylay retorted as she stood, but still offered Narlafayn a hand up. Narlafayn looked down curiously at the arrow wound, which was now completely healed. The arrow had been pulled out and laid near where she had fallen, still wet with her blood.

"I hate to say it, but this time Vuylay is right." Dasniall said in a light tone, approaching the women. "We were on our way to the Village when she ran into us. How lucky for you, huh?" he grinned. Narlafayn stared at them blankly, confused by the familiarity.

"You know each other?" she asked, her eyes dotting.

"Of course, we studied together under Magister Harne." Vuylay said, matter of fact. "I don't know Mr. Guts or that guy who took off though, they either left the village before I was interested in giving the male species any notice or came from somewhere else. Anyway, lets get going, I'm dirty, tired, wanting a bath and to forget about this entire place. It gives me the creeps." She finished, shivering.

"Channeling some spirits, are we?" Dasniall teased, grinning smugly at her.

"Yeah, an ex boyfriend of yours." Vuylay retorted, sticking her tongue out. They walked on ahead, leaving the two Light Elves to follow behind slowly.

"I'm sorry you had to get injured so badly…" Glarawen apologized in her soft voice, giving Narlafayn a sad look. "…Clan Wars are a disgusting thing to get caught in. It's a shame they had to target you for no reason."

"Is that what all of that was? A Clan War?" Narlafayn asked in disbelief. Glarawen nodded, and Narlafayn began to glare in memory. "Remind me to find Phuong later and give him my thanks for involving me and those other two." She looked over her shoulder at the body of the Light Elf that still lay in the room. The human knelt beside it, one hand on the elves shoulder. She turned back around quickly, and stared at the ground as she walked, her eyebrows raised in a worried expression.

"I'm glad to see you decided to take up the sword." Glarawen said suddenly, changing the conversation. "It suits you well."

"You haven't seen me fighting in it yet." Narlafayn stated, looking at her. "I'm not all that good yet…" Glarawen grinned, shutting her visible eye.

"I don't have to; you look nice just standing there all decked out in a sword and shield." Glarawen said, her smile not wavering. Narlafayn mustered up a half-smile in return, happy for the compliment. The four of them exited the Fortress and into the summer evening, thankful to be in fresh air again. As they walked away from the Fortress, Vuylay glanced over her shoulder to find Northwind standing near the entrance once more, his flesh whole and unrotted. She shuddered and turned away quickly, hunching her shoulders as she walked. Lifting an eyebrow at her body language, Dasniall glanced over her head to look at the glassy-eyed Light Elf.

"Ex-boyfriend?" he asked, looking back down at her.

"Never! Don't ever mention anything so disgusting again or I'll break your book over your head." Vuylay stated in disgust, shuddering again. Frowning in confusion, Dasniall took one last glance at Northwind before shrugging.

"He is cute though." he said smoothly, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Shut up!" Vuylay screeched, holding her hands at her cheeks and squinting her eyes shut. Dasniall gave a confused glance to Glarawen and Narlafayn, rotating his pointer finger near his ear in a motion to indicate Vuylay's mental state. Narlafayn giggled despite herself and earned a swift glare from Vuylay for it.

The return trip went relatively quickly, as they made no detours to fight any fungus or Orcs. Soon the were back in the village, and Narlafayn eagerly went towards her home, ready for a long nap in comfort before giving Sentinel Starden the poetry pages.

"I'm home!" Narlafayn called out as she entered. Cesa looked up at her in surprise from the table, a tiny banzai tree in front of her.

"Why hello, it's someone new." Dasniall stated, resting his chin on Glarawen's head. "Where's the psycho?"

"You had trouble with her too?" Vuylay asked, knowing instantly whom Dasniall referred to.

"Just for a night. It was great fun though." Dasniall replied, shrugging.

"Lucky you." Vuylay mumbled, glaring.

"They left." Cesa said, her eyes still large. "Lavinia was going on her journey, remember? More importantly, what happened? You look awful!" she said shrilly as she wrapped her arms around the pot the tree sat in, hugging it to her chest as if it were a plush animal one took comfort from.

"Long story, I'll tell you later." Narlafayn said wearily, waving a hand. Stories could be saved until after she'd had her bath and something decent to eat. She felt as if it would be a splendid break after such a long and tiresome journey, but little did she know her journey had just barely begun.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_In which Dasniall takes Narlafayn shopping, and she has an encounter with a bizarre individual._

Narlafayn woke slowly several days later, her eyes focusing on the white ceiling above her. Vuylay made a noise in her sleep next to her, and rolled over, taking most of the sheet that covered them in the movement. Sighing, Narlafayn pushed herself from bed, trying to be careful enough to not wake Vuylay, and padded out of the room. She wore a simple white sleeveless nightgown that had a square neckline and came down to the middle of her thighs. Yawning, she walked into the main room, and halted mid-stretch as Dasniall came into view, seated at the table.

"I'm grateful you think so highly of me to share, but I do believe you're showing me a little more than you intend." He stated, pointedly staring at her panties that peeked out from under the hem of her nightgown as she stretched. Face turning crimson, Narlafayn quickly lowered her arms and pulled the nightgown down enough to cover the inappropriate parts. She sat down across from him and stared at the table hard, shoving her hands underneath her thighs as if her nightgown were going to fly up out of its own volition while she sat there. After regaining her pride, Narlafayn managed to relax enough to glance around the room.

"Where's Glarawen?" she asked, noting how the Elder's presence was missing.

"She's gone." Dasniall said smoothly, taking a sip of tea. He elegantly placed the cup back on the saucer and looked at her seriously as she stared at him in disbelief.

"Where did she go?" Narlafayn asked, surprised Glarawen would leave without saying goodbye. Dasniall shrugged lightly in response.

"Oh well! Lets go shopping!" he suddenly exclaimed, grinning. Confusion written clearly over her expression, she blinked at him several times.

"Shopping?" she echoed, not sure where he planned to do this shopping, as the stores in the Village were poorly stocked for any kind of interesting shopping spree.

"Indeed. I've managed to come across quite a bit of money, and so I feel like spoiling you." He stood gracefully, the smile not leaving his face. "Hurry now and get dressed, we'll go to Gludio!" Excitement rising within her at the thought of venturing outside of the forest, Narlafayn stood quickly, her eyes shining.

"I'll go wake Vuylay up!" she exclaimed, darting around the table. Dasniall gently grabbed her arm and shook her head, holding a finger up to his mouth in the shushing motion.

"Let her sleep. Besides, I want to spoil you today, not her." He grinned. Narlafayn stared at him for a moment, blushing, before nodding and walking into the room to change. Her leather armor set had been ruined from her injuries, so she put on the cotton set that Mune had left behind. It was a strange eggshell color, and had two skirts, one short, and one longer half-one that sat around her hips and extended over her butt down to her knees. Chewing the inside of her lip for a moment, she glanced at Vuylay's still sleeping figure, thinking. Grabbing a piece of parchment, she jotted down a quick note and left it on her side of the bed, hoping Vuylay wouldn't roll over onto it while she slept.

The journey to Gludio would long if they walked, so Dasniall lent Narlafayn some money and she experienced her first displacement spell thanks to the Gatekeeper stationed near the Temple of Eva in town. She flew through black swirling space, her eyes wide in wonder, staring at a pinprick of light ahead of her. All too late it dawned on her that the light was really ground, and she had but a moment to flail before slamming into the cobblestone of Gludio's square. She groaned as stars exploded behind her eyes, and rolled onto her side, waiting for the worst of the pain to be over.

"Yeah, it takes awhile for you to get used to that…" she heard Dasniall say, and felt him pull her to her feet by her arm. He grinned roguishly at her for a moment before grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her through town.

Gludio was a small town with brown, classic looking homes set around a cobblestone square. A high wall from intruders and to keep its occupants safe during sieges and clan wars protected the town. Guards stood at each of the four entrances, which exited in each cardinal direction. In one corner, near the north entrance was a simple church. Gludio territory's castle could be seen in the distance from the northern gate, which was small in comparison to the other castles in the land. Narlafayn stared at it wide-eyed, never seeing anything quite like it before. All the races seemed to come together in this town, and she found herself curiously watching Orcs and Dwarves as they shopped at the few merchants set up about the square.

"Trader! The best armor and weaponry you have!" Dasniall announced as they entered the Weapons and Armor store. Narlafayn froze and stared at him, her eyes bugging out.

"Dasniall!" she hissed, tugging on the sleeve of his jacket. "That's too much!" Her cheeks began to turn pink as he winked at her and approached the counter to pay.

"Nonsense! Only the best for my dear Narla!" he said dramatically, laying out the money.

A bit later, Narlafayn stood outside of the store, fidgeting in her new armor. Dasniall had purchased the best amateur armor in the store, along with a new shield made from a metal that had been mixed with bone, and a new sword. Her armor was now a heavy hard leather shirt that ended just above her belly button and short skirt that was olive green in color.

"Now you look distinguished," Dasniall said with a smile. "Come; let's go eat lunch in the Inn!" Again he grabbed her hand and pulled her through town towards the small inn. Before she could protest about not being hungry, he had sat her down at a table and ordered a meal for the both of them. "Aren't you lucky? Not every girl gets to be spoiled by me." He grinned, winking at her. Narlafayn clasped her hands in her lap and looked down at them, hoping her blush wasn't showing. "So, what have you been doing the few months Glara and I have let you out of our sight?" he questioned, tipping a pepper shaker with his forefinger enough to roll it around, but not to spill it.

"Just…training…" Narlafayn said, unable to find words for the moment. She inwardly kicked herself, hating how nervous she was. "I explored quite a bit, some of the ruins around the forest are really quite interesting…"

"Fascinating." Dasniall interrupted quickly, leaning his chin on his hand and staring to the side. "Where did you get Vuylay? Did you walk through some tall grass and come out with her clinging to your clothes?" Narlafayn ducked her head down as she giggled, feeling guilty about laughing at such an obvious poke against the Mystic.

"I managed to find a path to the Dark Elf Village, and happened to pick her up along the way." Narlafayn said, her voice wavering with laughter. A barmaid came up with their order and began placing plates in front of them. Dasniall gave her the same roguish grin that he had given Narlafayn earlier, and she giggled and blushed. Narlafayn's smile dropped a bit, and she felt a slight pang of envy. She cleared her throat before continuing. "Things weren't going to well for her in town, so I decided to bring her back with me to the Elven Village." She finished, lifting a fork and poking it into a steaming vegetable as the barmaid walked away.

"I figured that was probably the case." Dasniall nodded as he dug into his food. "She's never had it easy. Felt sorry for her, but y'know, she learned slowly. I wasn't going to wait around until she felt like finishing up her basic courses before I left the Village." He shoved a bite of food into his mouth and chewed, looking down at his plate and poking around. "Besides, traveling with Glarawen was a once in a lifetime chance, I wasn't going to pass that up for anything."

"What happened to make things so miserable there for her?" Narlafayn asked, watching him. Dasniall shrugged and took a drink.

"I'm not sure I'm at liberty to say anything, you'll have to ask her about that." He said in a low voice, not looking at her.

"Ok…" Narlafayn said slowly, grabbing the hint that Dasniall didn't want to talk about what he knew. She searched her mind for a new topic of conversation. "What have you been doing with Glarawen all of this time?" she decided to ask. A blush creeped back up on her face as Dasniall stopped eating to grin mischievously at her.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked coyly. Narlafayn's eyes grew wide and she blinked, nodding slowly. Dasniall's grin grew wider and he leaned over the table to bring himself closer to her. "Well you know…we did a little bit of this…and a little bit of that…" he said in a low voice. She stared at him, her fork clattering to her plate loudly. "Just kidding." Dasniall said after a moment, leaning back in his chair. "I like Glarawen, but despite being a Dark Elf, I am still a gentleman. Flirting is more my game." He said suavely, relaxing in the high-backed wooden chair.

"But…the…naked bush…" Narlafayn forced out, still staring.

"Oh that? Nothing out of the ordinary happened there." He waved his hand, dismissing her question and began eating again. Narlafayn glanced away from him, her mouth in a thin line. _What exactly was 'nothing out of the ordinary'?_ "Anyway, I've seen quite a bit of the world between buying displacement spells from the Gatekeeper and traveling on foot. Did you know there was a city full of half-breed elves and humans?" Interested, Narlafayn shook her head rapidly, her mouth full. "It's a beautiful city, floats on top of a lake. You should see the fountains at night, simply stunning." He took a drink before continuing. "I met someone there."

"Oh? Who are they?" she asked, lifting her eyebrows in interest.

"His name is Tsubasa. I've learned quite a bit from him. His knowledge of the dark arts far exceeds anyone I've met yet." Dasniall said in a dreamy tone, staring off into space. Again Narlafayn's fork clattered to her plate, and she retrieved it quickly. She'd never heard of men being fascinated by other men before. _Ah well_ she decided, _to each their own. _

She and Dasniall continued eating in half silence, Narlafayn spending much of her time watching the customers that would come into the Inn with curious eyes. Dasniall excused himself moments after finishing, and paid the bill before darting outside. Now alone, Narlafayn stared at her plate sullenly, picking around the rest of her food before deciding she was full and leaving the inn. She stretched as she walked towards the square, satisfied with her full stomach, and wondered where Dasniall had gone. A wolf growled and barked at her as she passed a merchant set up near the stairway leading to the church, startling her and causing her to stumble backwards. She bumped into a body behind her, causing the person to also stumble.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry." She apologized, turning around quickly. An athletic looking man with pale skin and ears that looked slightly pointed stood up straight and cracked his shoulders. He had brown hair that was slicked back, and dual swords sheathed on his back. Narlafayn's apologetic smile left her face as she found his chest and gloves spattered with dried blood.

"No, I should be thanking you. I've had that crick for weeks now; it feels wonderful to have it gone." He said in a cheerful tone, looking at her with an interested face. She fidgeted under his gaze, realizing he was sizing her up. "Ah, you must be younger than me." He decided, turning away from her and walking through the square.

"Er…huh?" she found herself saying, staring after him with a twitching eye. What kind of a comment was _that_? Frowning, she began following after him bravely, pride sore from his comment even though she couldn't place as to why.

"Is there something I can help you with?" he asked, spinning around and startling her again. "I'm just a simple scholar, traveling the world in search of knowledge. Probably not the knowledge you'd want to acquire, so it might be in your best interest to go study whatever it is you light elf types study." Narlafayn frowned at him, chewing the inside of her lip, and put her hands on her hips.

"You're really suspicious looking." She stated, matter-of-fact.

"Am I?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, the blood spattering your armor kind of does that for you." She pointedly looked at the splatters on his clothing, lowering her eyelids in an authoritive expression.

"Blood?" he asked curiously, looking down. "Oh my, so there is. Why thank you, I'd completely forgotten it was there." From a pocket in his pants he produced a red embroidered handkerchief and began wiping at the splatters as if it were nothing more than a spilled drink. Narlafayn stared at him, speechless, as he cleaned himself. "See you later." He saluted her as he turned away, nodding slightly.

"W…wait a second!" she called after him as he walked towards the Gatekeeper.

"I'm sorry, you want to come with me to Rune?" he asked curiously, glancing at her over his shoulder. Narlafayn shook her head rapidly. "Good enough. Bye now." With that he disappeared, the Gatekeeper casting her spell quickly, leaving Narlafayn to stare blankly at the spot where he had stood.

Several hours passed by, and Narlafayn had not seen nor heard from Dasniall since he'd left the inn. She'd traveled the entire expanse of town searching for him, even peeked into the Dark Elven Guild, but he was nowhere to be found. She now sat next to the merchant with the wolf, having become acquainted with his pet enough to play with it.

Night fell; merchants began packing up their wares for the night. Still Narlafayn sat, now alone, waiting for Dasniall to return. Raucous laughter came from the Inn, and she could hear faint strains of music as a bard played for the customers. Sighing, she stood and stretched her stiff muscles, feeling very dejected.

"Excuse me, may I have a spell for the Elven Village, please?" she asked as she approached the Gatekeeper.

"1,500 Adena." The Gatekeeper announced, holding her hand out. Narlafayn dug out her money pouch and began digging through it to count out the price. Her eyes bugged out as she came up several hundred adena short. Not believing she didn't have the cost, she turned the bag upside-down and shook it, hoping some change she magically missed would come tumbling from it. Giving the Gatekeeper a nervous chuckle, she stepped away and began digging through her armor, hoping there was something she could sell for the rest of the money hidden within it. Her shoulders fell as she found nothing, and she slumped to a sit near the town well that the Gatekeeper stood near. Burying her face on top of her knees she sighed, trying to figure out how to get back to the Elven Village. Trying to give Dasniall the benefit of the doubt, she prayed that something had simply come up, and he'd been so busy that he'd forgotten to come back for her.

Finding no other alternative than to travel back to the Village on foot, she pushed herself to her feet and wandered towards the North exit. As she passed through, one of the guards caught her arm and pulled her back into town firmly, shaking his head.

"Gludio castle is under attack, it's too dangerous to travel now." He said in a low voice, nodding towards the castle. Narlafayn followed his gaze to find a dark mass speckled with pinpricks of torchlight converging on the castle. Faint shouts of war could be heard from the mass, and Narlafayn saw the glint of metal in the flickering firelight. "Get yourself a room in the inn for the night. It's foolish to begin travel this late in the day as it is." He recommended, giving her a smile.

"Yeah, you going to pay for it for me?" she asked bitterly, glaring at him. He didn't seem to hear her and turned back around; keeping an eye out for any stray fighters that would try to attack the townspeople. Sighing heavily, Narlafayn dragged her feet back through town, not wishing to spend the night outdoors, but knowing she was too weak yet to hunt the beasts that stalked around Gludio for quick money.

Passing by the Grocery store, her attention was caught by a map of the continent someone had plastered to the wall. Southwest of her current position, in the opposite direction of the siege, was a harbor town she'd heard people talk of before. Curiosity suddenly gnawing at her insides, Narlafayn made a quick decision and, after snatching a few provisions from a merchant who'd looked the other way, began the long trek towards the harbor town of Gludin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_In which Narlafayn is used as a test subject in the maiden flight of a new Dwarfish invention, and is shocked by the size of Orcish hands_

The journey, Narlafayn found, was long. There was a direct path to the town from Gludio, so the lack of a map to guide her wasn't a problem. Finding enough food to eat, however, was. She ran out of the stolen provisions within a few days of leaving Gludio, and attempted to feed herself by finding various roots and berries that grew on bushes lining the path. The first day after that she ate a mushroom that left her lying under a tree for hours, writhing in stomach pain. The cramps happened again after she ate some bitter tasting berries, discovering that birds could eat some things that other creatures could not. She managed to catch small rodent-like creatures and Elpy for food the second week after leaving Gludio, and by the start of the third, she finally began to question if attempting to make the journey to Gludin was a smart idea after all, as she was beginning to find insects delicious.

Mid afternoon, halfway through her third week of travel, Narlafayn laid on stiff grass some distance from the path, staring at the sky. The landscape of Aden, she found, was rather beautiful. Not quite the ethereal beauty of the Elven Forest, but still nice nonetheless. Traveling around what she remembered seeing on the map called "The Ruins Bend" the week prior had been a nerve-wracking experience. More than once she had been chased by skeletons wielding swords, and just barely managed to outrun them. The Bend itself was covered in a heavy fog, making travel dangerous, as she couldn't see what was ahead of her. Her nerves hadn't quite recovered from the experience, and she jumped at the slightest rustle of wind in the trees.

She'd passed by a few travelers along the way, none of which seemed to pay any attention to her. Hunger gnawed at her insides, but she hadn't the strength to get up and hunt down an elpy. Most of them seemed to have disappeared since she'd traveled through a mountain pass, giving way to larger beasts like bears and gigantic spiders. Taking in a deep breath of air and letting it out slowly, she shut her eyes, thinking that if the gods that the Elves worshipped were truly loving and merciful, they would drop food on her head right at that moment.

Narlafayn opened her eyes again to find a man wearing a heavy oiled leather cloak looking down at her. A hood obscured the upper half of his face from view, and in one hand he had a large walking stick. She sat up wearily, squinting at him as she attempted to wake herself up. He kneeled beside her, and lifted his head enough so that she could barely see the glint of his left eye.

"Who are you?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. "I'm not part of a clan and I don't know anyone named Phuong, so don't be killing me, ok?" she yawned as she spoke, and rolled her head around, stretching her neck. When the man did not speak, she looked at him again and tilted her head inquisitively. "Can't you speak?" she asked. He lowered his head and pushed his hood back to reveal his face. Narlafayn felt the breath catch in her chest as he lifted his head to look at her.

He had hair of the purest black that seemed to be both spiky and messy, and hung ragged down his neck. His face was youthful, and had the slightest dusting of facial hair on his upper lip and chin. She began to shiver in both fright and cold as she gazed at him. The shadows seemed to converge around him, even though the sun shone brightly down on them both.

"It has been a long time." He said in a soft, yet deep voice that had seemed to reverberate through her. "Welcome home." Narlafayn's eyes widened as he reached out and placed a hand that seemed to be both unbearably hot and painfully cold on her cheek, and leaned toward her, as if to kiss her. She jerked away quickly, the survival instinct finally activating and urging her to flee before his lips met hers.

"NO!" she shouted, sitting up. She stared at her legs for a moment as she realized she had been dreaming, her heart pounding.

"Now that was rude." A sultry voice said behind her. "I was just trying to be motherly." Narlafayn turned to find a Dark Elf sitting where her head had been laying. She pouted at Narlafayn in an almost flirtatious manner, causing Narlafayn's eye to twitch slightly.

"Good, you're awake. Eat." Another voice came. Narlafayn looked up to find a silvery-haired Light Elf holding a bowl of porridge out to her. Without hesitation, Narlafayn snatched it and began gobbling up the still hot gruel as fast as she could. The Light Elf sat down next to the Dark, and they watched her without expression.

"Silly little one, why ever did you leave town without provisions?" the Dark Elf asked, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Don't have money for that." Narlafayn said with her mouth full. "Kinda got stranded in Gludio."

"Why didn't you go back to the Elven Forest then?" the Light Elf asked curiously, leaning her head over to the side to let her hair fall over her shoulder.

"Siege on Gludio Castle, didn't have money for a room at the inn." She said quickly, really not desiring conversation while she ate.

"Ah, damned if you do, damned if you don't." the Dark Elf said lightly, nodding as if she understood.

"So you were headed to Gludin?" the Light Elf continued to question. Narlafayn nodded her response and snatched the bread that was offered to her after finishing the porridge.

"Oh, so close too." The Dark Elf stated, snapping her fingers. "You decided to take a nap just a few hours away." Narlafayn dropped the bread, her eyes large, and stood up.

The Light Elf grabbed her by her wrist quickly and said, "I wouldn't recommend trying to take the rest of the journey tonight. It's late, and there was a tournament going on in the arena outside of town. Never know what kind of morons are going to wander off in bloodlust, looking for some weak individual to pick off to bruise their wounded pride. We're camping out here tonight, just stay with us. It's safer in numbers." Feeling tired after filling her stomach, Narlafayn nodded her acceptance of their offer and sat back down.

She didn't converse with her new companions the rest of the night, as she had fallen asleep not long after sitting back down. She woke early in the morning, the land still covered in a light mist. The remnants of a campfire smoked nearby, but she found the two elves had long since departed. By the tree sat a travel pack, a note placed on top of it. Stretching, Narlafayn walked over to it and picked it up. She scratched the back of her head and yawned as she began to read it.

_Dear Traveler of Unknown Origin,_ it began;

_ I hope you will find this pack of some use to you on your journey. You had your reasons to leave town so foolishly without any provisions of any sort, or even someone to escort you at your current strength._ Narlafayn shut her eyes in annoyance at this comment, as it was none of their business what her strength was. First she was called young by the man with the dual swords, now she was being called weak by the elves she didn't even catch the name of. _I wish you luck on your journey, wherever it may take you, _the letter continued,_ but be sure to return home sometime and finish your training before venturing back out into the world. You have the foolish kind of bravery this world needs. Take care._

Folding the letter up, Narlafayn crouched down in front of the pack and opened it. Inside was a supply of jerky and a canteen of water along with several potions of various colors and a few scrolls. Tucked away underneath the potions was a small pouch with 2,000 Adena within. Not nearly enough to make her life comfortable, but it would help her until she managed to make her own. Feeling refreshed and energetic for the first time in weeks, Narlafayn happily swung the pack over her shoulder and began the final stretch of journey to Gludin.

Plodding around an outcropping of limestone, Narlafayn's eyes lit up as the city walls came into view. She could see Gludin Harbor to the west, the tolling of a boat bell meeting her ears. The scent of the ocean was strong, and Narlafayn inhaled deeply, missing the smell of saltwater from her days in Bastok. Her heart leaped with joy as she realized she still remembered the name of her old city. _It must be the ocean_, she thought happily, walking past the city gates with a smile on her face.

The inside of the city was full of the hustle and bustle of a bazaar, merchants set up all around the cobblestone square selling their wares. Narlafayn perused them for a bit, looking at jewels and blades she'd never seen before. As she gazed longingly at a long slender sword that was much to heavy and expensive for her to ever hope to own sometime soon, a strange whirring noise buzzed over her head. Just as she looked up to see it's source, a load of sour cream dropped onto her face from what appeared to be the anus of a mechanical object that looked to be a cross between an Elpy and a goblin. A pair of high-pitched giggles sounded from behind the tent she stood in front of. Wiping the goo from her eyes, Narlafayn glared around the corner of the tent to find two Dwarven children, one with pink hair, one with red, crouched behind the tarp. The red head held a remote control, while the pink-haired one held a wind-up toy that looked like a pregnant bugbear. Long bangs covered both of their eyes from view, and Narlafayn could only tell they were looking at her by how the smiles left their faces.

"Why you little…" she growled, holding up a shaking fist. The Dwarf holding the wind-up toy suddenly released it's legs, and a splatter of something that looked like chocolate, but smelled like some sort of flowery soap, came spraying out of it's carved out nose. This hit Narlafayn in her mouth, and she sputtered and coughed as the Dwarven children dashed away. "Come back here you runts!" she shouted, spitting as she ran after them.

She chased them through the town square and down a set of stairs that led to the business district. They disappeared through a gateway leading into a walled-off section of town that hid the warehouse from view. In one corner, across from the warehouse entrance, was a large, rotating, shining crystal known as a broadcast tower. A group of people crowded around it, transfixed by wherever it was the tower had transported their unconscious minds to view. The children disappeared into the warehouse, Narlafayn close behind them, her face distorted into anger. She skidded to a stop as two more Dwarven children, one with purple hair and the other with bright pink hair, both smaller than the two she pursued, jumped into her path.

"Stop evil doer, in the name of the Blacksmith Pushkin, I will punish you!" the pink-haired one exclaimed, holding out a tiny hammer that had been decorated with ribbons.

"Punsh!" the purple-haired one exclaimed, holding out a stick that she had obviously found on the ground somewhere in the same manner as the first. Frowning at them for a moment, she moved to pass them, finding her targets huddling behind a chair in the corner of the warehouse.

"Strawberry check!" the pink-haired one exclaimed, whipping out her hammer and smacking Narlafayn on the thigh. Narlafayn hissed in pain and turned an angry glare onto her offender, growling softly. The purple-haired dwarf ducked behind the pink-haired one, her eyes large with fright.

"Now, now. Ichigo, what did I tell you about smacking strangers?" a bearded older Dwarf said as they waddled into the warehouse. "Don't smack them until you've discovered if they're a good business venture or not. You might need to borrow them to help get some items in the future, remember that!" Narlafayn felt as if she should be angry by the obvious disinterest in her well-being, but she found she could only gawk at the display in front of her.

The Dwarf that had spoken was most definitely female in their voice, but their body and face resembled that of an aged man. She had a stark white beard, and was extremely round, as if pregnant. Behind her came three other Dwarven children, all the same size as the purple-haired one or smaller. In the older Dwarf's arms she held a baby on one side and a large sack on the other. The two that Narlafayn had chased dashed from their hiding spot in the corner and hid behind the older Dwarf.

"Gotcha in the face did they? Such smart girls, they can configure such an accurate aim at their age." The Dwarf said fondly, petting the banged ones on the head. A vein of annoyance popped out on Narlafayn's head, and her temper flared to life. "Name is Mama Pixie, but you can call me Pixie as you're nowhere near being able to call me Mama." The Dwarf laughed, holding out the baby to her. Taken by surprise, Narlafayn took the baby from her arms mechanically. Mama Pixie then shifted the brown bag to cradle it like it was the infant, and petted it lovingly. "Such a good one you are…" she said softly to it. Narlafayn's eyes dotted as she watched, the infant busying itself by sticking its fingers in the sour cream still decorating her face. Mama Pixie carried the bag carefully over to the warehouse counter and placed it gently upon the polished wood.

"Parting with another, eh Pixie?" the Dwarf behind the counter said in a gruff voice.

Mama Pixie heaved a great sigh and nodded, looking as if the weight of the world were on her broad shoulders. "Ah well!" she suddenly exclaimed happily. "That golem served me well, but I suppose it will make better shinies now that I'm not in the field anymore!"

"Um, excuse me…" Narlafayn attempted, trying to get Mama Pixie's attention. The children were gathering around her legs, poking at her or inspecting her armor with curious eyes. The entire situation was making her very uncomfortable.

"It's a shame you had to retire, we were so close in finding that sword too!" another Dwarf behind the counter said sadly, shaking his head. Mama Pixie chuckled and patted her stomach.

"It's better this way silly man! Now I can bring more babies into the world and not have to worry about a thing! I'm better off just living in the home town than I ever was living abroad!" she declared happily.

"Excuse me!" Narlafayn said loudly. Mama Pixie and the Dwarven warehouse keepers stopped talking to peer at her with a cold expression, as if they had forgotten she were there. "I'd like to get going now…as much as I'm enjoying the company of your children…" she said nervously, smiling.

"Nonsense. Where on earth could someone of your strength go from Gludin?" Mama Pixie asked, looking at her fully. Narlafayn's nervous expression turned annoyed and she glared at the Dwarf.

"Got it!" one of the banged dwarves shouted, snatching Narlafayn's travel pack from her arm and dashing out the door. The twin Dwarves giggled madly and raced back towards the square, Narlafayn gaping at the tiny dust cloud they left in their wake.

"How wonderful, they've decided to play hide and seek with you!" Pixie said gleefully, taking the baby Narlafayn held. Narlafayn turned her shocked expression towards her.

"Your children are beasts!" Narlafayn finally managed to choke out. "Learn some control over them!" The three freightmen behind the warehouse counter all gasped in unison and covered their mouths in shock. The gaggle of Dwarven children left in the warehouse suddenly quieted and stared at Narlafayn with tear-filled eyes. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt from the expressions of hurt she was receiving from them.

Mama Pixie drew herself to her full height and put her free hand on her hip, approaching Narlafayn and jutting out her round stomach, bumping her roughly with her weight. "Now you see here Long Legs," she began, staring into Narlafayn's eyes with an authoritive expression. Narlafayn suddenly began to feel very small in the Dwarves presence, even though she towered a good three feet over her. "Who are you to judge so blindly? My babies are not beasts, they are tiny geniuses! I could say you're a beast for the bloodstained sword you carry or the demonic looking ears you sport! People like you waste lives by just killing for pleasure, not for profit! Now apologize to my babies and then go play with Midget and Plenty. Chop chop!" she accentuated her last words by smacking her leg loudly.

Very much cowed, Narlafayn scooted around the mother Dwarf with her shoulders hunched, her own eyes large and welling with tears. She looked down at the sea of large eyes staring up at her, some accompanied by quivering lips. "I'm sorry…" she said in a muted voice, kicking her toe into the wooden planks of the warehouse floor. One of the freightmen behind the counter suddenly snorted, as if repressing laughter. She glanced up quickly to find two of them with their backs to her, doubled over as if inspecting something on the floor. The third picked his nose and stared at the ceiling, ignoring his surroundings.

"Very good, now go play with my inventor babies. They'll give your pack back once you find them." Mama Pixie stated, turning Narlafayn around and urging her out the door by smacking her bottom. Still glaring at the freightmen, she stalked out the door and towards the square. As soon as she was out of earshot, the entire warehouse erupted into hysterical laughter.

Narlafayn entered the square to find the Dwarven twins crouched over her pack, digging through it. "HEY!" she shouted, breaking into a run. The twins looked up at her quickly and then darted towards the church, leaving Narlafayn's money pouch on the stone street behind them. She grabbed it quickly, looking around suspiciously to see if anyone would attempt to accuse her of stealing from the children. "Stop!" she shouted as they darted up the stairs at the end of the square and towards the Gatekeeper. She paused at the foot of the stairs as the Dwarves looked at her over their shoulders, each holding a bag strap, grinning mischievously. "Ok, I've caught you." She panted, holding out her hand. "Hide and seek is over."

"Silly donkey-ears, hide and seek has just begun!" the red-haired one stated as she disappeared with a spell from the Gatekeeper. Now over the humbling Mama Pixie had given her and fully angered at being referred to as 'donkey-ears', Narlafayn clenched her fists in anger and stomped towards the Gatekeeper.

"Send me after them!" she demanded, jerking the string off of her money pouch and shoving her hand inside the leather, waiting for the gatekeeper to tell her the fee.

The doe-eyed Gatekeeper blinked at her sleepily and slowly tilted her head to the side, putting a finger to her chin, igniting Narlafayn's temper further. "Now where did I send them?" she said in a slow voice. Narlafayn's jaw dropped open a bit, and her money pouch tumbled from lax fingers.

"How can you forget that fast? They were just here!" she exclaimed as she retrieved her pouch and spilled adena from the ground.

"That's a tough one, I get many 'them' coming through here all the time. It depends on which ones you were after." The Gatekeeper said with a slow forming grin. Narlafayn made a frustrated noise and clenched her arms tightly to her sides.

"The two Dwarven children that you just sent away, you know, the creepy twins with no visible eyeballs? I want to go after 'them', as they have something I need to get back!" she said shrilly, trying to resist the urge to grab the Gatekeeper and shake her as hard as she could to get the gears in her head to speed up. Familiarity lit up on the Gatekeepers face at a snails pace, and her grin turned even happier.

"Oh, those two were so adorable!" she recalled, raising her hands to clasp under her chin, her eyes sparkling.

"I'm sure they were, now can you please send me to wherever they were sent?" Narlafayn tried again, her voice weakening with emotional exhaustion.

"Sure thing, 1,500 adena please." The Gatekeeper said in a quicker tone of voice, holding out her hand. Money deposited, the Gatekeeper shut her eyes and began reciting the spell, holding her hands in front of her chest in a triangle shape. "To the Orc Village you go!" she said, releasing the orb of light that had formed there.

"Wait, what?" Narlafayn managed to get out before the world around her disappeared into blackness. "Orcs? Orcs are bad!" she shouted into the inky darkness swirling about her. She folded her arms across her chest as she tumbled through the dimensional limbo, glaring. She landed on the packed dirt of the Orc Village square several seconds later, on her bottom, just as the Dwarf twins giggled and disappeared with another dimensional spell from the Gatekeeper. Pushing herself to her feet quickly, Narlafayn approached the Orc Gatekeeper and began digging in her pouch. "Please send me to wherever those Dwarves went, please." She asked politely, counting her money.

"No." the Gatekeeper stated roughly. Narlafayn froze and raised her head slowly to look at the Orc. She was tall and slender, with a face almost too beautiful for an Orcish woman. She wore a red bikini that was richly decorated with beads, teeth and feathers. Large feathers protruded from the rear portion of the bikini, and she wore a large feathered headdress that was wider than her body. It gave Narlafayn the impression that she was some sort of exotic bird instead of Orcish Gatekeeper.

"Excuse me?" Narlafayn asked, shaking her head as if clearing it. The Gatekeeper sniffed in a stuffy fashion, jutting her chin into the air. Her red hair was done in small braids, and swung around her face as she moved.

"You heard me." She said icily. "Only three Light Elves allowed passage a day. You have to wait until tomorrow." With that she turned away from Narlafayn and accepted money from a blonde Dark Elf with a flirtatious smile.

"That's ridiculous, I've never heard of that kind of limit anywhere!" Narlafayn said stubbornly, planting her feet in the ground.

"The Ivory Tower has no say in the dealings of Elmore." The Gatekeeper said coldly, not looking at her. "They are lucky we set up their network to come up here in the first place." She turned a cool gaze upon Narlafayn, as if sizing her up. "Now wait patiently until tomorrow, or I will not send you anywhere. Unless you'd like to continue protest, then I'm sure Centurion Bepek would be pleased to escort you away for breeching our peace treaty with Aden by threatening a citizen of Elmore." She pointedly turned her gaze past Narlafayn towards a muscular Orc wearing a horned animal skull as a helmet, who watched them with arms folded across his chest.

Seething once more, Narlafayn clenched and unclenched her fists before turning on heel away from the Gatekeeper and stalking towards a rock formation at the center of town. She plopped to a sit and propped one elbow upon her knee, resting her chin roughly on her hand.

The Orc Village was very primal in appearance, made from unfinished stone with thatch roofs. Behind her stood a grand structure she could only assume was their temple where they worshipped the fire god Paagrio. A large statue stood on top of the temple, something that appeared to be a tribal carving of an Orc with its arms folded, as if sternly watching over the village and it's inhabitants. Weapons were placed haphazardly around the walls of the village, as if left there for anyone to pick up and use. Muscular guards patrolled the open square, and other than those who obviously lived there, Narlafayn could see no other adventurers like herself. It was disturbingly quiet save for the crackle of fire from large torches erected around the village.

She sat for what felt like hours, pondering her situation. There didn't seem to be an inn anywhere in town, by what she could see. The smaller, race-specific villages seemed unfriendly towards visitors, she was noticing, as the Elven Village lacked an inn as well. The Dark Elf Village had no need for an inn, as most visitors found a place to stay within moments of entering the city usually. (If not, they were allowed to camp in the Garden of Shilen, which was a vast meadow between the Village and the Temple of Shilen, which resided near the ocean.) Although summertime, the air was cold here, and she didn't feel like attempting to camp outdoors without a blanket in the short skirt she wore.

Growing increasingly frustrated, Narlafayn huffed and glared. "Is there anyone here?" she shouted into the air, earning some sidelong glances from the guards. One guard, standing the side of the entrance to the temple looked at his companion who shrugged slightly, confused by Narlafayn's question. Perhaps the elf was blind, they decided, or going mad, as how could she not see that people were there?

"Yes, I'm here." A deep voice chucked from behind her. Narlafayn yelped and stood, turning quickly as she moved, to find a tall Orc behind her. He had short brown hair, and strange lined tribal tattoos decorating his cheeks and chin. He gave her a cocky smile and held out his hand in introduction. "I guess you're stuck here. Sorry about that, but some of my people's old habits die hard. You'll be fine though, we'll find you a place to stay for the night." He grinned, as she held her hand out. His entire hand enveloped her slender one, and she stared in shock at the size of his fist as he shook her hand. "My name's Damascus by the way, pleased to meet you."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_In which Narlafayn finds herself trapped overnight in Elmore and gets a taste of Orcish "hospitality"_

Several hours later, Narlafayn followed behind Damascus though mountainous paths, hugging herself. It was cold; the grass was stiff from a thick frost. Snow covered the ground in patches, and the wind blowing against her legs stung, as if it were riddled with splinters of ice. She shivered, wondering how Damascus could walk so comfortably, as he wore less armor than her.

"Why are we out in the cold again?" she asked through chattering teeth. Damascus turned enough to grin at her over his shoulder.

"Don't worry; we'll be in a warm place soon." He assured her, before turning back to watch the path ahead of him. Narlafayn sighed and scrunched her shoulders in attempts to retain body heat.

Damascus had given her a quick tour of the Village, and then convinced the Gatekeeper to cast them a spell that seemed to put them in the middle of nowhere. He hadn't said a word about their destination, and just commanded her to stay close as they trekked across steep inclines and thin paths. Right now they were walking through a wide valley, strange monsters that looked like floating eyeballs and beings made from rock watching them as they passed. Every now and again she could smell and hear a Werewolf as it passed by, but none made an attempt to attack them.

The Orc walking ahead of her was different than the ones that wandered the Elven Forest. Damascus was taller than any Kaboo Orc, and sported larger muscles. His manner of dress was similar, but he spoke intelligently. Her eyes bugged out as she noticed the various weapons strapped to his body, wondering how he moved with so much metal attached to his skin. Upon his back was a spear and a large sword she could only assume was meant to be wielded with both hands. At his waist was strapped a short axe on one side, and a smaller sword on the other. Hooked to his belt also were two fisticuffs that looked as if they'd seen use recently as they were speckled in what she hoped was just clotted blood.

"Doing ok back there?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts. Narlafayn answered by nodding vigorously. "Good." He said, as if he could hear her brain rattling in her head. "You're obviously really young in your life as a fighter, with how quickly you trusted me and all. Most people would question my intentions of bringing you all the way out here without a word." He stated without expression, moving a low branch aside as he passed under it. Narlafayn stopped walking and stared at his muscular back with large eyes. "You know it's odd, isn't it? An Orc like me being so nice to you, an Elf of Light, sworn enemy of my race."

A feeling colder than the air around her settled into Narlafayn's limbs, and she swallowed, trying to get her voice to work. "Are you…going to kill me?" she asked in a hushed voice. It slowly began to dawn on her how stupid she was to get taken in by a friendly smile and a few kind words. Was she that starved for kindness? Damascus stopped walking to turn and stare at her seriously. He took a few steps towards her until he was in front of her, and stared down at her.

"Nah." He said after a tense moment, causing her legs to almost give out beneath her. He grinned and helped her to stand before turning and continuing his trek down the path towards the still unknown destination. "I only kill that which I don't like looking at. You're pretty cute for an Elf, plus you don't have that pompous air they all seem to have, so we're good. I like the smell you've got too." He said in a light voice, causing her to stare at him blankly. He paused in front of the mouth of a cave and stretched. "Here we are. Now let's see if they're where they're supposed to be." He entered the cave and began descending down a long ramp without looking to make sure she was behind him.

Narlafayn backed up on the path a bit to glance up at the mountain over the cave. The rock was strange, and shaped like a boar's head. She idly wondered if it were a natural formation, or if the Orcs had carved it themselves. Curiosity firing to life inside of her and washing away the previous fear she had felt, Narlafayn entered the cave behind Damascus.

The ramp ended in a large cavern with a large altar set in the middle of it, which was surrounded by lit fire wells. Along the wall were rock pillars decorated in tribal symbols that almost appeared to have been painted in blood. A fire well sat in front of each rock pillar, filling the cavern with bright firelight and warming the air. Damascus led Narlafayn through the first cave and over a short bridge erected over a shallow stream that flowed through the cavern, dividing the first from the next.

In the next cavern, there were strange reptilian beasts that Damascus called salamanders. The beasts ignored them as they trekked through, but in the next room a skeleton suddenly dropped down from the ceiling and swung a sword out at them. Damascus grabbed his short axe and smashed it upon the skeleton's head, and its entire body crumbled into dust from the impact. "This way." He directed, taking her down a side path that led into a long hallway. "You should hunt here before you leave," Damascus suggested lightly, hooking the axe back into its loop on his belt. "Its great training for someone as young as you." Narlafayn's temper flared a bit and she folded her arms over her chest and frowned.

"Do I have 'novice' tattooed to my forehead now or something?" she grumbled, pouting. "This is the third time someone's called me weak." She kicked a rock at her feet, sending it bouncing down the tunnel in front of them.

"Something like that…" Damascus said, slowing down. He held an arm out to halt her, and walked on ahead into the next cavern. Narlafayn lingered in the hallway behind him, staring at the room with large eyes.

In the center of the cavern was a torture device of a sort, and a muscle-bound Orc wearing a bone helmet stood in front of it. An Orc woman stood next to the Guard, pleading with him about something Narlafayn couldn't pick up. She wore an opaque gray veil over the lower half of her face, hiding it from view. Her brown hair was done into tight braids and wrapped into a ponytail at the top of her head. She wore exotic gold and rust-colored armor that seemed like a bikini with a decorated loincloth, giving her a less barbaric appearance than the other Orc she had seen in town.

The woman stopped pleading with the guard as Damascus approached, and the two turned to glance at him as he gave them a slight bow. He spoke with the woman for a moment, and motioned to Narlafayn. Following his movement, the woman looked at her. She stared at Narlafayn for a moment before looking down and nodding. Damascus grinned at her and rubbed her head as if she were a child, then turned and made his way back towards Narlafayn.

"Great! Sprissa said she'd take you in for the night. You're in luck!" Damascus announced as he came in earshot. "She's got a few things to finish up in here so it'll be a bit, but I don't think it's a problem if you wait around." As he moved aside, Narlafayn looked over his shoulder at the torture device and gasped. The Guard blocking it from view had moved, and strapped to it was what appeared to be a blonde, shorthaired human woman. Blood poured from two wounds in her sides and dripped into channels that directed the fluid down to the floor, where it ran in a chiseled out rut towards the wall. She took a step forward, instinct to protect the weak overriding her better judgment. Damascus put a restraining hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention away from the horror before her. "Don't get involved in Orcish affairs. You're an elf; it would only put you on that torture block, even if they were the ones in the wrong." He said in a low voice. "That woman is not what she appears. Trust me when I say that punishment isn't even close enough to what she really deserves." He patted her shoulder before moving away and plodding back down the hallway. Narlafayn watched him retreat for a moment before taking a breath and walking towards the Orc he had called "Sprissa".

"Enough of this, please! You've been doing this for days; I think she's had enough!" Sprissa pleaded, holding a hand up to her chest. "Please, she doesn't know anything; she would've said something by now!" As always, the guard ignored her and continued to slowly inflict another deep wound to the woman's torso. Bound and gagged, the woman groaned a bit and strained against her bonds, but she could not move more than a slight twitch. "You're going to kill her!" Sprissa finally exclaimed, taking a step forward.

"Yeah, I think that's enough." Narlafayn stated, putting a hand on the strange object the guard was using to inflict the wound. "Deserving or not, that's too much." Sprissa lifted a hand to cover her mouth, shocked at Narlafayn's boldness. The Orc snarled and whipped his hand out to smack Narlafayn across the face, but the Elf smoothly ducked it, the Orc's hand sailing over her head. She chuckled lightly and gave him an amused look as she crouched, and the Orc snarled again, this time swinging at her with the still bloody torture device. This caught Narlafayn across the chest, but her hardened leather armor dulled the blow to no more than a scrape. The strength of the Orc still knocked her off of her feet and she fell to the stone ground.

"How dare a filthy Elf lay hands upon me!" the Orc roared, raising the weapon to stab her. Narlafayn's breath caught in her throat and she raised a hand in a feeble attempt to block her impending doom.

"I Order you to STOP!" Sprissa shouted, hands tightly clenched into fists at her sides. The Orc paused and glanced over his shoulder at her for a moment before lowering the torture device and slowly plodding over to the trembling Orcish woman.

"You _order _me?" the Orc mocked, his voice a low growl. With the point of the device, he snagged her veil and pulled it from her face. He then placed the bloody point against her cheek and rolled it, leaving a dark smear of blood there. "You, a half bred whelp, order ME?" He ran the point down, turning the smear into a line.

"Yes." Sprissa said, taking on a brave air despite the tremble in her voice. "I order you to stop and leave us be. Your work is done." The Orc chuckled and dropped the device to roughly grab Sprissa's breast. Sprissa's eyes twitched slightly in a wince, but she kept her expression placid. Disappointed that she did not react the way he had hoped, the guard released her breast and leaned in close, his unwashed breath blowing into her nose as he spoke. "You may be the adopted daughter of the Gandi chief, but you are still 100 years too inexperienced to be challenging me, bitch." He growled. With that he turned and released the human woman's restraints and roughly jerked her from the torture platform. He dragged her across the polished stone floor, her limbs flopping limply like a rag dolls, and shoved her into a jail cell burrowed out of the cave wall. After shutting the iron gate and locking it, he stalked out of the cavern, leaving the women alone.

Sprissa let out a breath she'd been holding and sunk to her knees, as if relieved. Narlafayn stood and rubbed her chest where the point of the guard's weapon had touched her, glaring towards the hall where the guard had disappeared. "That wasn't very nice." She muttered, wandering over to Sprissa. "Are you ok? That was really disgusting of him, grabbing you like that." She said, holding a hand out to her. "I've heard your name is Sprissa, mine's Narlafayn." She introduced, smiling.

"That was incredibly brainless of you." Sprissa said coldly, looking up at her. Narlafayn's smile dropped and she stood, pursing her lips. Half of her reaction was caused by Sprissa's comment, but the other half was caused by Sprissa's appearance. She had the green skin of the Orc, but her build and face were similar to that of a Dark Elf. Noticing her stare, Sprissa reached down and grabbed the veil from where it had dropped and secured it to her face. Narlafayn blinked as she realized that Sprissa wore the veil to hide her elfin appearance. With the lower part of her face covered by the gauzy opaque fabric, she looked like nothing more than a slender Orc. "It would benefit you to not meddle in Orcish affairs again, or you might die next time." Sprissa scolded, adjusting the top of her armor.

"Hey, I got him to stop, didn't I? That was more than what you were doing." Narlafayn retorted in an equally cold voice. When Sprissa raised her head to stare at her in surprise once more, Narlafayn flashed a grin to convey that there were no hard feelings.

"You're…odd…for an elf…" Sprissa said slowly, turning her head to give Narlafayn a sidelong glance.

"I'm getting that a lot, I'm noticing." She mumbled, looking away from Sprissa.

"Ah~h, the fun is over already?" a rough voice said from the jail cell. Both Narlafayn and Sprissa turned to see the human woman who had sat up, fingers touching her wounds curiously.

"Emixia! Are you ok?' Sprissa exclaimed, rushing over to the cell. Emixia looked at Sprissa for a moment, her eyes working to focus after being unconscious. "I'm so sorry, I tried so hard to stop him again, but he just won't give up…"

"Oh man, not you again." Emixia groaned, flopping down to her back. "Why do you always do that, huh? I was enjoying myself you know." She ran a hand through her short-cropped blonde hair, leaving a streak of blood in it.

"How can you enjoy something like that? Are you missing something in your head?" Narlafayn asked skeptically, standing next to Sprissa. Emixia raised her head slightly to look at her.

"Oh hello, did you come to play with me too?" Emixia asked, her voice as sincere and curious as a child's. She scrambled to her knees and clutched the bars of the cell gate, grinning brightly at Narlafayn. "Oh I do hope you will, I do so love the smell of destruction you carry! We could be great friends!" She reached a bloodstained hand towards Narlafayn as if reaching for candy. Horrified, Narlafayn took a step backwards, looking at the woman's hand as if it would poison her. Emixia let her arm drop limply and frowned at Narlafayn's reaction for a moment before retracting the appendage and looking at it. "Oh my, so that's why you look disgusted. Silly me, I forgot to wash up." With that she began licking herself, starting with the blood on her hand. "Mmm.." came the noise from her throat.

"Emixia, I'll get you out of here soon, I promise." Sprissa said, reaching a hand out to touch her in a comforting manner. Emixia paused in cleaning herself, her tongue still pressed against her skin, to stare at Sprissa with wide eyes.

"Excuse me; I'm trying to take a bath here. Don't you know that a person generally wants privacy when they bathe? It's only common courtesy, geez!" she scolded, frowning. "Get out of here already!" Emixia shouted in response to Sprissa's hurt expression. Standing quickly, Sprissa retreated down the hallway as fast as she could, Narlafayn jogging to keep up behind her.

"What's her issue?" she asked, jerking her thumb in Emixia's direction. "I've never seen anyone that crazy bef—" she paused as a memory of the Gladiator from the night she got left in Gludio flashing through her mind. "…I've never seen any women that crazy before." She corrected.

Sprissa walked in silence for a moment as she led the way back to the entrance of the cave. "Orcs are generally not meant to cross-breed with any other race. The Orcish temper is fiery, and most other races are not built with the proper means to control it without driving themselves insane. Emixia is a case of this." She said in a low voice. "Her father was a human, her mother the Orc. She came back here seeking solace from her temper, but found only prejudice. She finally lost control over it and killed my adopted father's true daughter, Telnaki, in a blind rage."

Wondering why Sprissa was sharing this information with her, but not voicing it, Narlafayn walked beside her in silence for a bit, trying to think of something comforting to say. "But I thought that guard said you were a half-breed yourself?" she found herself asking, and then kicked herself for asking such a personal question. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to ask that." She apologized, rubbing the back of her head.

"No, it's fine." Sprissa said, waving her hand to brush it off. "Yes, I am a half-breed. My mother was a Dark Elf." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as they emerged from the cave into the twilight air. "I don't remember her, I was really young when she died, and my great-grandmother did not know her well either. Grandmother always told me my father was calm of spirit though, so perhaps my lack of temper comes from him." She smiled at the pitying look Narlafayn gave in reaction to the sadness in her voice, even though the smile could not be seen beneath her veil. "It is alright, grandmother has returned to the great fire from which things are created, she lived a good life and I am not hurt by her passing. I have a wonderful father now as well, so I am satisfied."

"Why were you helping that psycho down there then? Didn't you say she killed your father's true daughter?" Narlafayn asked, looking over her shoulder at the mouth of the cave. Sprissa sighed and stopped walking, looking up to the sky.

"Yes, she did wrong, but I don't think she truly understands that which she's done. The Orc inside her yearns to be satisfied in battle while the human tries to find reason to draw blood. Telnaki picked a fight with her in the first place, knowing fully that she was not stable enough to challenge." Sprissa stated sadly, looking down. "I know how Emixia feels, not fitting in with either race you descend from. It's an awful, lonely feeling."

"So the reason why you go in there, despite the fact that she murdered your sister, is because you're both half-breeds?" Narlafayn concluded, scratching her cheek.

"Perhaps." Sprissa smiled. "In any case, it's freezing out here; let's get back to town quickly." With that, Sprissa reached into a pack and removed two scrolls, handing one to Narlafayn and then opening her own, the teleportation magic flaring to life and taking them back to the Orc Village.

Narlafayn was set up for the night on a large pile of straw in the corner of the stone home that Sprissa lived in with her 'father'. Much to Narlafayn's shock, she found that the Gandi chief treated Sprissa as more of a concubine than a daughter. He seemed distraught by Telnaki's death, and highly dominating of Sprissa. He was rough and cruel with her, and felt no shame in stripping the poor girl naked in front of a guest to have his way with her. As much pity as Narlafayn felt for Sprissa's situation, she knew that she was no match for an aged, battle-hardened Orc, and stayed silent, praying that he would not turn to her once he grew bored with Sprissa. She slept with her sword nearby, determined that if the worst should happen, she wouldn't go down without a fight beforehand.

She woke abruptly in the middle of the night, to the loud shouts of the Orc guards outside of the house. Narlafayn sat up and stared towards the pelt-covered door with large eyes, her heart thudding in her chest. It sounded as if something were happening outside. Across the room, Sprissa sat up with a similar expression. Next to her, the Gandi chief continued to sleep, snoring loudly.

"Great Chief!" a warrior shouted, bursting into the home. The chief roared as he sat up, hurling a sword from beside his bed, which sliced the warrior through the neck. The Orc fell over backwards with a heavy thud, unmoving as blood pooled around him, staining the bear pelts on the floor a deep crimson. Behind him a smaller figure entered, grinning from ear to ear like a satisfied she-wolf, blood covering her from head to toe.

"I brought you a gift for so generously letting me enter your home." Emixia stated, throwing two heads at the Gandi Chief as he scrambled from his bed. The head of the guard from the Cave and the head of the Gandi chief's nephew that Narlafayn had met briefly earlier, rolled across the dirt floor, Sprissa gasping as if she wished to scream. Narlafayn jumped to her feet and drew her sword, the noise of metal scraping out of its sheath catching Emixia's attention. She glanced at her without turning her head, her eyes visibly trying to remember whom she was. Shutting them in satisfaction, she let out a grunt of a chuckle, and the pelt door flew open as a black blur passed through it. Narlafayn's back hit the straw as she was bowled over by something heavy, and found herself staring into the mouth of an angry panther.

"You maggot-ridden half breed dare to stain my honorable home with your filth?" the chief roared, grabbing a ball mace covered in spikes from the wall. Emixia held up a hand and waved her finger back and forth, tsking.

"Such naughty words I hear coming from you. Isn't it a half breed in which you use as a seed receptacle every day? I would think your parts are filthier than your floor, shouldn't you be worrying about those instead?" she asked in a light tone, her eyes shut. The chief swung the mace at her with a snarl, its spikes aiming for the center of her head. She raised a hand and caught it smoothly, both Sprissa and Narlafayn wincing and gasping as a few of the spikes impaled through her and burst out the other side in a mini spray of blood. "I hear it'll hurt awfully bad if they rot up from the dirt." Emixia stated, her voice taking on a rough, barbaric tone. Her calm expression instantly evaporated in the next second to be replaced with a wild grin that chilled Narlafayn to the core. Emixia drew her hand that held the mace ball back, then released, throwing the ball back at chief in a quick motion. It struck him in the genitalia, and he howled a sound that Narlafayn had never heard before.

"Stop it!" Sprissa shouted, standing. Emixia ignored her and calmly picked up Narlafayn's sword from where it had dropped when her panther tackled the elf. The chief laid on the floor, doubled over, whimpering in pain. Emixia approached him slowly, still smiling as she hefted the sword in her hand.

"A bit light, but I think it'll still do the trick. Be pleased, Elf. The first real blood your sword will taste is that of an Orc chief." She said in a commanding voice. Narlafayn attempted to sit, but the panther snarled and leaned in closer to her face, baring its teeth. Claws barely unsheathed from the cat's massive paws, warning her to stay put with just a prick. Sprissa dashed from her place next to the bed, holding her arms out and blocking Emixia from advancing onto the wounded chief. Without a word, Emixia placed a hand on Sprissa's shoulder and flung her aside as if she weighed no more than a child's toy. Sprissa crashed into the far wall, the shelf above her that held crude plates collapsing upon her and showering her with broken clay.

"NO!" Narlafayn shouted as Emixia drove the point of her blade through the Orc's side. He howled in pain again, the wound not enough to kill him. Again and again she stabbed him, blood pouring from his wounds and pooling on the floor. She began to laugh in glee as she stabbed, as if torturing the Orc chief was the best fun she'd had in years. Tears stung Narlafayn's eyes and she shut them, trying to drown out the sounds in the house by focusing on the growling noise coming from the cat. Why was this world so cruel? Was the only way to atone for sins through death? Where were the guards? Why weren't they helping?

_"There is a reason for everything" _

Narlafayn opened her eyes quickly to find the hooded man standing near Emixia. It appeared that she was the only one who could see him, as no one else made any motion of surprise at his sudden presence. The world seemed to slow down as if moving through honey, except for the hooded man who moved easily as if there were no restraints upon him. He crouched beside her and brought his face close, the cold shadows that surrounded him seemed to slide into her mouth and nose, choking her with its iciness.

"Everything must be destroyed in the end. Even death has its own justice." He said in a low voice. Narlafayn drew in a ragged gasp as he lowered his head over hers, covering her face with his hood and blocking out the light.

_ Inside the darkness of his hood she saw a lithe figure rampaging through the Orc Village wearing black armor and carrying a large, blood streaked sword. Villagers were cut down right and left, and everywhere that the black-armored person stepped, ice would form. It expanded and covered everything, dousing light and life where it touched. Not even the elderly, women or children were spared from this chaotic person. Ahead, surrounded by the burning city, a tall, muscular man that looked to be an Orc yet was somehow too beautiful to be one stood in heavy armor, wielding a large two-handed sword, ready for battle. The smaller figure glanced up at him as they withdrew their sword from the body of a choking woman, waving the sword to remove the gore from the metal. The larger man took a breath and let out a loud battle shout as the smaller figure held their blade out and began running towards him. His sword swung in a mighty arc, but it missed the smaller figure completely, and their blade sliced the man through the midsection. Her hair streaked with blood, Narlafayn grinned darkly as his arms flew outwards from the force of the blow, his sword falling uselessly to the ground. _

Still in the hut, pinned under Emixia's panther, Narlafayn drew in a gasping breath just as the pelt door flew off of the bar holding it up. The hooded man had disappeared, leaving in his wake the angry form of Damascus, who slammed a large club into the side of the panther. With a yowl the beast flew through the air and slammed into the stone wall of the hut. It disappeared into a dark swirl as it crumpled to the ground, returning to the spirit world from where Emixia had summoned it from. Without pausing, Damascus grabbed Emixia around the throat and slammed her into the wall opposite of where her panther had fallen. He drew up the corner of his mouth in a snarl, staring directly into her eyes. Behind him, Sprissa dashed around the bed to kneel at her father's side.

"You set me free, and yet this is how you treat me?" Emixia asked in a strained voice, gripping his arm with her hands. Narlafayn pushed herself to her feet, staring at them with large eyes. Sprissa seemed to not have heard her growl, and stared mournfully at the Chief who did not move. The group did not notice as an elderly Orc peered into the house.

"Great Paagrio!" the Orc exclaimed, stumbling backwards. "I knew you would kill our chief the moment that half-human stepped foot into our Village!" He turned and raced towards the Council of Chiefs, shouting in Orcish at the top of his lungs. Sprissa stood, her face pale, staring at the door in shock. Damascus dropped Emixia and pulled Narlafayn by the arm just as she had retrieved her sword and secured her shield to her arm.

"We have to get out of here, NOW!" Damascus stated urgently, grabbing Sprissa around the waist and hefting her over his broad shoulder. "They've always been wary of Sprissa; this is just giving them fuel to convict her for something she hasn't even done." He thundered out of the house as fast as he could go, Narlafayn close behind. She cast one last glance over her shoulder to where Emixia was slumped against the wall. She had a maniacal grin on her face, but to Narlafayn's surprise, tears streamed from her eyes.

After rousing the Gatekeeper up from her slumber, Damascus forced her to teleport the three of them to Gludin without asking any questions. Seemingly frightened of the mighty Orc, the Gatekeeper obliged, and Narlafayn found herself standing, once again, in the marketplace square of Gludin.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_In Which Narlafayn travels to a secluded island and gives a complete stranger an injury which results in a conversation about women._

Damascus set the girls up in the inn for the rest of the night and then set up his own camp outside in the square, waiting for any Orc mercenaries dispatched to kill Sprissa. Neither girl slept, and instead Narlafayn found herself sitting up with the Orc and telling her of her life in Bastok. Sprissa made no motion of even understanding any of the words Narlafayn uttered, and sat staring out the window. Narlafayn finally gave up trying to talk to her just as the sun began to peek over the horizon, bathing the room in a blue-gray light. This was the second time she'd seen the cloaked man, in just two days time. The vision that she had seen disturbed her; the person she had seen killing without discretion looked like her, but yet it felt like it wasn't her at all. Still, she felt horror as if it had been her committing those horrendous acts.

"It's my fault…" Sprissa finally said, startling Narlafayn. She sat up straight in her chair and looked over to the Orc girl, who had removed her veil and stared at it in her hand. "It's my fault that he's dead…" her voice was thick with tears and Narlafayn felt pity for her.

"How can you blame yourself? You aren't responsible for what that loony tunes woman did, you didn't ask her to come in and kill him…" Narlafayn said, and then clamped her mouth shut at the look that Sprissa gave her.

Sprissa swallowed hard and looked down at the veil, clenching it tightly. "Yes, it is. I began to talk to her, to complain about things that I had no right in complaining about. She was so unstable…. she hated me visiting her, perhaps she came to kill me but got him instead…" her voice trailed off as more tears rolled down her cheeks. Narlafayn clucked her tongue and scratched her scalp, her hair fluffing in the movement.

"I wouldn't say that was the case then," she began. "The girl was a few dishes short of a feast, that's for sure, but she definitely came in there to go after that chief. Maybe she appreciated your visiting her, and getting rid of that which had hurt you was her way of thanking you?" Narlafayn frowned at herself, not really understanding where this insight was stemming from. Sprissa's mouth had dropped open in an 'o' shape, impressed by the speech Narlafayn had given. She nodded once and looked down at her hands again, sniffling loudly. Narlafayn sighed and sat back in her chair, relieved that her guess had been right. Sprissa didn't like living as that chief's personal slave after all.

_"Even death has its own justice."_

Shaking her head rapidly, Narlafayn made a noise and shut her eyes tightly. "Go away." She commanded the memory silently. Growing weary with exhaustion from the excitement, Narlafayn sighed and folded her arms on top of the table she sat next to, and rested her head upon them. Sleep claimed her almost immediately, her dreams blessedly absent.

"So where will you go from here?" Damascus asked the girls. It was a bright morning, three days after Emixia's attack on the Gandi chief. "I have to get back to Oren, so I must part from you for now, but I'm sure I'll see you guys again." He grinned, patting Sprissa on the head as if she were a kid. Narlafayn had begun to grow the impression that Damascus had known Sprissa for a long time and looked after her like a brother. Part of her was jealous at the security Sprissa had with that.

"I'm going south. There's a small farming community outside of the Wasteland, perhaps I can find work there until this calms down." Sprissa said bravely, pushing Damascus' hand off of her head and smiling at him.

"Good idea." He agreed, nodding. He turned to look at Narlafayn seriously for a moment before placing a heavy hand on her head. "And I suppose you're going to wander around some more yourself, Miss Curiosity?" Damascus asked, wiggling her head. Narlafayn waved her arms comically for a few seconds before pulling her head away from him. "Be careful on your journeys, you hear me? I'll be checking up on you from time to time." He said, winking. "Oh, be sure to stop in Dion sometime soon, I have someone I want you to meet." He grinned at her blank expression and turned away from the girls to approach the Gatekeeper and request a spell.

"Thanks big man, " Narlafayn murmured, smiling. Damascus was strange, but it gave her a pleasant feeling to have made a friend so quickly. Two friends, if Sprissa didn't mind her saying so.

"I should be going too." Sprissa said, taking Narlafayn's hand and squeezing it. "Thank you so much for staying with me these past few days. I enjoyed your stories, they were very imaginative." She smiled good-naturedly under her veil, the only hint of it being how her eyes crinkled. Narlafayn's friendly smile faded as Sprissa departed, and she frowned.

"It wasn't my imagination dammit." She grumbled. Sighing, Narlafayn retrieved her money pouch from where she had secured it on her sword belt and approached the sleepy-eyed airhead Gatekeeper once more.

"A spell to the Elven Forest please." Narlafayn requested carefully, hoping that she wouldn't have a repeat of the last time she requested a spell. The Gatekeeper blinked at her, then slowly smiled and raised a hand to her, palm up.

"2,000 Adena please." The Gatekeeper said in her turtle-speed voice. Narlafayn's jaw dropped and her eyes bugged out of her head.

"I thought it was only 1,500 Adena to the home villages!" she exclaimed shrilly. The Gatekeeper shook her head at a snail's pace, the smile not wavering.

"It was, but a siege on Gludio castle ended yesterday, the new Lord of the land has imposed a higher tax. The Ivory Tower decrees that all gateway fees be adjusted accordingly." She said. Narlafayn exhaled in disgust and threw her arms in the air.

"I can't possibly hunt the beasts outside of this village, where do you suggest I go to get money now, huh?" she spat angrily. What was with her luck lately? And what was with all of these factions waging bloody mini-wars on Gludio Castle? Two in one month now, it was becoming rather silly.

"Why don't you take a boat to Talking Island? That's only 1,000 Adena. You can hunt there until you retrieve enough money to get home, I hear the lands there are very friendly for novices." A Dark Elf stated professionally from beside her. Narlafayn jumped and spun quickly, startled by his presence. She went into an instant glare a moment later.

"Who says I'm a novice?" she challenged, clenching her hands at her sides. The Dark Elf, whose hair was a rich hue of crimson, raised his eyebrows at her in surprise.

"Your armor does, that's who." He said in amusement. Feeling that he was mocking her, Narlafayn's hair stood on end a bit and she tensed up enough to visibly shake. _What is with all of these stronger people looking down on me,_ she wondered. _They started off as novices once, too!_ "Anywho, I'd love to stay here and chat, but I must be off. See you on Talking Island." He said, giving her a curt nod and approaching the Gatekeeper. After depositing a sum of money into her hand, she cast her spell and he disappeared into the air.

Sighing heavily, Narlafayn trudged down the stairs leading back to the square and headed towards the harbor. _Might as well try to make the next boat…_she thought as she dragged her feet.

Narlafayn had only ridden upon a boat once, and it was a fishing boat floating peacefully in Bastok Harbor. She had been young then, so she did not remember how she felt while rocking on the waves. She didn't remember that is, until she had been on the ship for a half hour.

Seasickness hit her in the worst way possible, and she spent most of the journey with her head hanging over the side of the boat. There were very few passengers on this trip, and they all kept their distance from her, trying to ignore the sounds of her heaving.

"All passengers ready, we'll be arriving at Talking Island Harbor in five minutes!" the cabin boy announced from a raised platform the afternoon of the second day.

"Finally." A sorcerer stated in an acidic tone of voice, casting a glare at Narlafayn. Her stomach had given her a break for the moment, and she had slumped to the deck, one arm still propped over the railing on the side of the ship. She looked up wearily, her hair covering her face in strands, wondering if she had heard the cabin boy correctly or if she was suffering from delirium from vomiting for two days straight.

The boat docked smoothly, and Narlafayn dragged herself from the ship, walking at an angle due to her aching stomach. "Skirmish outside of the docks, just keep moving, everything is under control." The Warf manager announced as they filed past him. Narlafayn paused outside of the harbor archway and shielded her watering eyes from the glare of the sun to glance into the forest. Sure enough, in a wide meadow near the Harbor path, groups of what appeared to be teens were locked in battle with a small army of Orcs.

"That can't be right…" she mumbled. "Why would a village send children out to fight?" She pondered this for another moment before shrugging and moving to make the long trek towards the Village.

After a few steps, a knot formed in Narlafayn's stomach and she froze mid-step, staring blankly into the air, trying to decide if it were going to pass or not. To her dismay it didn't, and she bent over at her waist to vomit into the grass once more. She had hardly eaten anything on the trip; she couldn't understand where it was all coming from.

"Ugh, not again." The Sorcerer from the boat groaned as he and a woman who'd met him as he exited the boat passed her. "She's been doing that since we left Gludin." The pair hurried by, covering the sides of their faces as if to block her from existence.

"Yeah yeah, so sorry my stomach isn't out to please your high standards." She grumbled as she spit. A second later, a hand thrust itself in front of Narlafayn's face and she looked up wearily to see a human girl with straight brown hair cut just below her chin smiling down at her.

"Are you all right?" the girl asked, her eyes alive with concern. Narlafayn blinked at her, trying to get the sickness tears to diminish and sniffed. The Narlafayn inside Narlafayn's head began to weep in joy and flutter about the sky on wings of happiness at this simple show of kindness.

"Yeah I'm fine." She muttered, taking the girl's hand. "I jus' get seasick…" She was pulled to her feet by a surprising show of strength from the girl. Finding it hard to balance herself after being on the ocean for two days, Narlafayn's gratitude grew as the girl put a hand on her elbow to help steady her as she walked down the path.

"Why didn't you just take the Gatekeeper then?" the girl chuckled, smiling at her.

"You think I have that much money? Heck no!" Narlafayn exclaimed, slightly offended that she would suggest such a thing after the trouble she'd had with the slow Gatekeeper. Her head gave an unhappy throb with the force at which she had spoken, and she winced and pressed a hand to her temple. She blinked hard a few times, willing the pain to subside. Hearing commotion behind the girl, Narlafayn glanced around her head to watch the Orc and Human skirmish. She noticed two authoritive looking adults standing nearby the group, muscles tense and ready in both. A part of her relaxed, realizing that they hadn't sent the kids out there alone. She looked down at the girl's hand, and then up her arm and realized she was decked out in full leather armor herself, a sword sheathed and untouched at her hip. Her shield lay in the grass behind them, also unused. Her eyebrows quirking slightly, Narlafayn asked "Shouldn't you be out there too?"

An uneasy expression passed the girl's face and she shifted uncomfortably, averting her gaze from Narlafayn's intense one. "Nah…I'm kind of on break right now…" she said in a hard tone of voice, giving Narlafayn a tight-lipped smile. "I'm beginning to wonder if I'm really cut out to wield a sword after all." She mumbled more to herself than to Narlafayn. Instantly noting the attitude that she wished not to talk about it, Narlafayn pushed it from her mind and stood up a little straighter, feeling better now that she was standing on an unmoving surface.

Silence enveloped the two for a few moments as Narlafayn searched her mind desperately for a new topic of conversation, wishing for one to patch over any sore feelings she might've caused with her bold question. Realizing that she hadn't introduced herself, yet, she found herself blurting out "Narlafayn." After the words left her lips she winced, scolding herself silently for not phrasing it into a proper sentence. The wince turned into a more embarrassed sting as a confused look crossed the girl's face.

"I'm Sharmin." The girl finally said with a smile. Relieved that the introduction had been understood, Narlafayn paused and took a deep breath, her stomach stretching in the motion and returning to its relaxed state.

She stepped back and sized Sharmin up, her earlier grumbling of not being capable of wielding a sword still hovering inside her mind. Narlafayn circled the girl slowly, a hand to her chin in thought. She certainly looked capable enough, her stance was perfectly disciplined to where she could easily go into battle at any moment, and her bones were well structured. Narlafayn's pupils widened as she stared at the sinewy muscle that moved under Sharmin's back skin as she shifted nervously. Curiosity and awe overriding her better judgment, she reached out and poked the slight lump.

"What are you doing?" Sharmin suddenly exclaimed, jumping away from Narlafayn and covering her body with her arms. Not realizing what she had been doing was offensive to the human; Narlafayn tilted her head at her in confusion.

"Well you seem rather cut out to wield a sword to me. You've got great muscles for a girl." She declared, putting her hands on her hips. "I don't even have muscles _that_ nice." she pursed her lips and looked away, remembering the differences between her body in the other world and the one she had here and added, "At least here I don't."

"Excuse me for having large muscles." Sharmin glared, her voice bitter. Narlafayn blinked at her, raising her eyebrows. What was this girl so defensive for? She had just paid her a compliment, one any swordswoman would be pleased to hear, but she acted as if Narlafayn had called her flat chested or brainless!

"Well it's not as if they don't look good on you, so don't get all offended. I'm just saying, since you've already gone this far, it'd be a waste to just go back to living a villagers life and loosing all of that." Narlafayn stated, shrugging. She was feeling better, and excitement at hunting in the forest for pelts and other things that she could barter for money was bubbling up inside of her. The longer she lingered out here with Sharmin, the less time she had to hunt. She turned away from Sharmin and walked ahead of her, waving as she went. "I think I can take myself the rest of the way to town. You'd better get back to your battle; they probably need you out there." The girl seemed to need some gentle pushing and a bit of esteem lifting, but she had the makings of a fine swordswoman. Part of Narlafayn twinged in anxiety as she realized she had been studying swordplay for several months but she was leagues behind Sharmin, despite having better armor. She chuckled in amusement herself, remembering Mune's words to her as she began her training; "You can have the fanciest armor in the world, but if you don't have any talent behind your blade, you'll be reduced to nothing in battle." How true those words seemed now. Narlafayn had the best armor for novices, but her swordsmanship was in dire need of work.

Making a firm decision as the town came in sight, Narlafayn told herself that this would be the end of her travels once she gained enough money to return to the Elven Forest. She would settle down and study until she coughed up blood if she had to. The world could wait, after all, she was a Light Elf now, and had time on her side to see it all.

After renting a room in a boarding house, Narlafayn exited with a mug full of steaming broth, her stomach thanking her for the nourishment. Talking Island Village was small, but lively. It was populated almost entirely with humans, a few Dwarves and Light Elves being the only other races in sight. People wandered about the tall pillar statue in the center of town, trading wares, gossiping or hurrying to work. Somewhere behind a cluster of houses to Narlafayn's left, she could hear the noises of a hammer on an anvil. A dog barked somewhere, and sheep bleated as a shepherd boy herded them past. A content smile passed over Narlafayn's face as she felt at ease. The atmosphere was very comforting despite the dim noise surrounding her.

Her broth finished, Narlafayn pushed herself to her feet from where she had seated herself on the edge of the pillar and deposited the mug into the washbasin outside of the boarding house. Stretching her arms above her head she wandered out the north gate of town, following the path to where she heard the townsfolk gossip of stronger monsters residing. There was a group of children wielding small swords near the town gates, chasing Elpy enthusiasm that only children could have.

The farther she walked from town, the larger the wildlife became. Keltirs gave away to wolves and goblins that eventually gave away to Orcs and Werewolves. Narlafayn paused on the path as a brown-haired boy darted from behind a cluster of trees, a large werewolf in pursuit. Adrenaline surging through her muscles, she reached for her sword, instinct to help him firing to life. She let go of her hilt as soon as she realized the boy had things under control, as after a short match, he ran the beast-man through smoothly. He sighed deeply, catching his breath, and sat down on the grass to rest. Smiling to herself, Narlafayn continued down the path, hoping there were still good places for her to hunt without disturbing the inhabitants of the island.

After nearly two hours of travel, Narlafayn found herself at another strange pillar statue, set at the crossroads of four paths leading to various parts of the island. There were large statues of armored soldiers standing around the stone pillar, holding their swords at attention as if respecting all those who passed by them. Seated at the base was a man in full armor, his head resting against the stone and eyes shut as if dozing. Next to him stood an exasperated looking young man with blonde hair that reached down to his jaw line. He wore a set of green and brown wooden armor that appeared to have seen a lot of use.

"Uncle, I'm tired of being sent out here to retrieve you, why can't you just stay in town for a few hours during the day and get done what they want you to do?" the youth asked, giving the older man an annoyed glare. The armored man opened one eye to glance at the teen before shutting it again, disregarding his nephew. "Fine, see if I care if they impeach you! Dad was saying how Sir Tanford would be better at this job anyway!" he growled, turning on heel and stalking away from the man with his shoulders hunched. He stomped past Narlafayn without noticing her presence and trudged down the path towards town. Tilting her head at his retreating figure curiously, Narlafayn turned to find the armored man peering over her shoulder with squinted eyes. Yelping in surprise, she stumbled over her feet and fell, landing on her bottom.

"Is he gone?" the man asked in a low voice, squinting down the path. Staring at him with large eyes, Narlafayn could only nod. Grinning, he reached down and grasped her by her bicep, hauling her to her feet with ease. "Good." Narlafayn rubbed her arm after he released it; his grip had been strong and bit into her muscle. "Gatz is a good kid," he continued saying, walking back towards the pillar, "but he listens to the villagers too much. Tries to mold himself into something he thinks they want, and instead makes himself invisible by being exactly like everyone else." He sighed and shook his head, putting his hands on his hips. "Besides, that Tanford git couldn't even keep his wife happy and ended up divorcing her to go live with his Orc mistress. Where does my brother think that he could govern Talking Island better than I could?" he grumbled, more to himself than to Narlafayn. Remembering her presence, he turned back to her, beaming widely. "So, what brings you to Talking Island, Miss Elf? I don't believe I've ever seen you before, have you come to hear about the Obelisk of Victory?" he asked, putting a hand on the pillar. "Such a grand history behind this statue you know, it all extends back several hundred years ago…"

"Could you point me in the best direction to hunt in? I'm trying to get back to the Elven Forest." Narlafayn quickly interjected, feeling guilty for being rude, but not really wanting to waste time by listening to the lengthy history she was sure this man was about to give her. "I'm sorry, I don't have time to listen to the history now, but I promise I'll come back and hear it later." She said with a nervous smile to the disappointed look crossing his aged face. He grew thoughtful for a moment and walked around the obelisk to point to a meadow north of where they stood.

"Over there, you'll find a good spot to hunt. The town is in dire need of venom sacks from spiders to make antidotes from, if you retrieved not even a handful of those, you could make a pretty penny." He said in a business like tone of voice. "Leon's over there right now, trying to retrieve some himself. I'm sure he'd be grateful for some company, especially attractive company in the form of a Light Elf swordswoman." He added, winking at her. "Leon is an excellent swordsman, star student at Cedric's Training Hall. He shows grand promise to be a Paladin one day. Sometimes I wish my nephew was as serious about training as that boy is." He sighed again and tsked, shaking his head.

Smiling nervously, Narlafayn thanked the man and began walking towards the north. The sun had already passed its high point in the sky and was descending towards the western part of the island. Narlafayn winced, as she had nearly spent all of her money renting the room in the boarding house, and now the daylight was running out.

Sure enough, after a half-hour of travel, Narlafayn came across an open meadow that ended in a drop-off into the ocean, a blonde-haired teen staring out over the water with an unreadable expression. She tilted her head at him curiously, as he seemed to be lost in thought. The serious look on his face almost made him look older than he really was.

He had a lean, muscular frame, and his bronze armor glinted in the sunlight. He was taller than her, but only by several inches. In one hand he held a sword that dripped with green spider blood, on the other arm was a shield, just as battered as the youth she'd seen fighting the werewolf's had been. His hair was long, not quite as long as the teen the man called Gatz, and it covered one half of his face, hiding his eye from view. He turned to look at her as she approached, his eyes lighting with curiosity, but his face remaining placid.

"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice taking a cautious tone. Narlafayn put on a friendly smile and clasped her arms behind her back.

"I heard you could use some help hunting spiders." She said brightly, her smile not wavering. She liked the aura he had around him, it was comforting and she felt protected by it. "The man by the… uh…" Narlafayn paused; searching her memory for the name the man had given in reference to the statue.

"Obelisk of Victory?" the teen asked, shutting his eye and sighing. "Sir Collin…" he sighed, shaking his head.

"Yeah, that's it, the Obelisk of Victory." Narlafayn scratched the side of her head thoughtfully, and glanced to the sky. "Why in the world would someone want to hang around a phallic object like that all the time…?" she mused to herself. Leon gaped at her as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Excuse me?" he inquired politely, staring at her.

Narlafayn shook her head rapidly and smiled, dismissing her comment. "Well, if you'd like some help hunting spiders, I'd be more than willing to give you a hand. I need to earn some money to get back home. Hunting in a pair would be better than alone anyway." She added lightly, hoping it'd be enough to convince him. Leon stared at her, his visible eye large, as his ears turned slightly pink. Not noticing, Narlafayn stood next to him and stared out over the ocean, stretching her arms. "Nice view." She said appreciatively. "This entire island is nice, I almost want to live here." Leon still stared at her, speechless, as a spider came charging from over a hill, two hooked front legs raised. "Behind you…" Narlafayn warned, stepping away from the cliff.

Leon spun quickly and chopped off one of the spider's legs, which went flying through the air and over the side of the cliff. Without pause, he deflected the spider's other hooked leg with his shield as it tried to stab him, and shoved his sword through the spider's head. It squealed loudly before crumpling to the ground, its legs splayed in every direction. Leon withdrew his sword and stuck his hand inside of the arachnid's mouth, searching for its venom sack. Narlafayn whistled, impressed by his quick recovery.

"Wow, no wonder that guy was so impressed with you. You're good." She complimented, raising her eyebrows at how his ears turned pink once more. He withdrew the venom sack gently, and inspected it for tears. "Is that the only way to retrieve them?" she crinkled her nose distastefully at the thought of shoving her hand into the mouth of a dead spider.

"Yeah… unfortunately." Leon said, carefully stowing the venom sack into his pack, which lay on the grass near a spindly tree.

"Alright then." Narlafayn stood with her feet shoulder-width apart and adjusted her leather gloves. She lowered her eyes, taking on a determined expression akin to someone entering war. "Bring on the goo."

Hours passed quickly, and before Narlafayn knew it, the sun was sinking into the western sea, casting the world in an orange light. She sat picking at blades of grass, watching Leon and chewing on an antidote herb. She had attempted to stick her hand inside the spider's mouth before he was fully dead, and ended up getting all of the venom sack she searched for pumped into her bloodstream. Leon's collection of sacks was quite impressive, while Narlafayn sat with only three to her name. She couldn't quite figure out the perfect place to stab the spiders, unlike Leon, and ended up tearing the sack with her sword.

"Were you born on this island?" Narlafayn asked, squinting at him. They'd spent the majority of their time together in silence, Leon seemed to be either too intent on his task to talk, shy, or both. He took a breath as he finished off a spider and stood, composing himself.

"No, I was born on the mainland." He answered her in a soft tone of voice. He knelt to the ground and lifted the spider's head to reach into its mouth. "I came here about two years ago to train under Sir Cedric." He pulled out the venom sack, his hand trailing slime from the arachnid's throat. Narlafayn gagged and looked away. "I'll be leaving here tomorrow though, to begin my advanced training on the mainland." He threw the venom sack across the meadow, finding a tear in it. "What brings you to the island?"

"Came to hunt stuff for money. I kinda got left behind in Gludio so I came here to get money to return to the Elven Forest." She said slowly, surprised that he continued the conversation instead of ending it.

"You came…from Gludio…. which is several months travel from here…. to get money to go home to the Elven Village, which is a month of travel from Gludio?" Leon repeated, casting a confused look.

"Yes." Narlafayn stated simply, wondering what was so confusing about her logic. She pushed herself to her feet slowly, letting her mind become accustomed to being upright once more.

"That's a rather…. well…" Leon chewed the inside of his mouth; searching for a polite way to phrase what was on his mind. "Wouldn't it have been quicker and easier just to walk back from Gludio?" he asked, his eyes dotting. Narlafayn tilted her head at him and thought for a moment.

"Yeah, but I would've had to spend who knows how long sleeping in the streets while I waited for some bozos to stop waging war on the castle. You know they've been doing that a lot recently, you'd think the castle had indoor plumbing or something by how they fight for it." She grumbled, brushing off her skirt.

"My head hurts…" Leon said, turning away from her and putting a hand to his head.

"Did you get poisoned too?" Narlafayn asked, concerned. Leon looked at her without expression, but his visible eye twitching at the corner.

"I think we should head back to town now, it's getting late." Leon stated quickly, changing the subject. Narlafayn sighed heavily at her small collection of venom sacks and gathered them up to carry back to town. "Do you have a place you're staying?" Leon asked, looking at her over his shoulder.

"Yeah, with some lady in a boarding house. She charged me almost all of the money I had left just for the down payment. I hope the rest of the overnight fee won't be anything I can't afford, otherwise I'm going to be on this island for a long time hunting spiders." She shuddered at the thought, suddenly finding the island very uninviting.

"Did she ask you how much money you had before you paid?" Leon stopped walking to look at her seriously.

"Yeah…" Narlafayn said slowly, turning her head slightly at his expression. "Isn't that normal? I mean, to make sure the person you're renting a room out to has enough money to pay?" Leon sighed heavily in response, and put a hand on her shoulder like an old man comforting a child.

"She's one of the town scammers, I'm afraid. She'll overcharge you and make you work it off for months." He said in a grim tone. "She's a former aristocrat from Schuttgart, but squandered her money away on frivolous things, Sir Cedric has said. She likes to catch unknowing travelers by surprise and force them into doing servant work for her. You'll find that the door will be locked tight when you get back, and she won't let you in until morning, I'm afraid." Narlafayn's face paled, and she suddenly felt thankful that she had no travel pack to worry about, as she would've had to leave it in the room.

"Where am I going to stay then?" she asked mournfully, her heart sinking. Leon thought for a moment, then smiled at her, and motioned for her to follow him.

"I'm sure Sir Cedric won't mind you staying overnight in the dorms at the Training Hall. We'll be leaving on the boat tomorrow; you can just come with us then." He said, smiling. Relieved that there was still kindness in the world, Narlafayn relaxed and returned his smile.

"Are you sure I'm going to have enough money?" she asked, looking at the venom sacks in her hands. Leon nodded, his hair bobbing in the motion.

"The man pays 1,000 adena a sack, so I think that'll be more than enough to get you back to the mainland and to your forest." He said, adjusting his shield. They walked in silence for a moment, their direction changing from the town to the Training Hall.

"Hey, I know!" Narlafayn suddenly exclaimed, startling the youth. She marched a few paces ahead of him and turned to face him, walking backwards. "If you don't have anywhere specific to train in the mainland, why don't you come with me back to the forest? It's quiet there, and much more of a forgiving atmosphere than trying to force yourself to become accustomed to the mainland all at once." She offered with a smile.

"I was raised in big cities until two years ago; being on the mainland again won't bother me." Leon said skeptically, lifting an eyebrow at her. Narlafayn stopped, planting her feet stubbornly in the ground and pouted at him. The longer he stared at her, the more she pushed out her lower lip, until she looked too comical to be taken seriously. Leon sighed in defeat and hung his head, his shoulders drooping. "Fine." He mumbled, "I suppose my first stop can be the Elven Forest. But only for a little while, ok?" Narlafayn threw a fist in the air and let out a happy cheer. Training went faster for her when there was someone for her to train with, and this young man seemed to be a perfect training partner. After watching him fight the spiders, she found that his style of swordsmanship was much more direct than the flighty style the Elven Masters had taught her. It appealed to her more than trying to meditate on the woods and 'move as if one were dancing amongst the tree limbs'. Mune might've mastered swordsmanship that way, but she liked a good old direct fight with her feet firmly planted on the ground over that any day. She hoped that by fighting next to him longer, she could learn some of his methods and become a better swordswoman.

As they finally reached the stretch of land past the Village that led to the Training Hall, a young girl, no more than ten, raced past them, her face distorted into a tearful expression. She tripped as she ran, as if blinded by whatever had upset her.

"Komugi?" Leon asked more than called, frowning curiously at her departing figure.

"Who was that?" Narlafayn asked, watching also.

"Sharmin's sister. I wonder what's got her so upset…" Leon wondered, scratching behind his ear. "Oh, Sharmin is a girl I know from town who just started school here recently. She's a good kid, just has a lot to learn yet." He explained as they began walking again.

"I think I met her on the way to town when I first got here." Narlafayn said, amused by the way Leon spoke of Sharmin as if she were nothing more than a child no older than the one that had run past them.

As they ascended the stairs leading to the courtyard of the school, they passed the angry figure of Sir Collin's nephew Gatz, who was angrily hurling rocks into the ocean. He grunted with exertion, as if it helped his letting out of steam.

"I detect drama afoot…" Narlafayn mumbled to Leon, watching Gatz warily. Hearing her, Gatz turned quickly, and, once he laid eyes on Leon, walked away from them just as fast. The pair watched him go with a matching bewildered look. "I do believe he's mad at you." Narlafayn stated matter of fact. "What'd you do, steal his girlfriend?" Leon gave her a look that belied on horrified, struck speechless by her accusation.

"Hey Leon, dinner's being served!" the brown haired boy Narlafayn had seen fighting the werewolf called from the doorway of the school. "Whoa, DiValmont with a chick." His eyes grew large as he stared at Narlafayn. She began to get the impression that he was checking her out, and fidgeted under his glance.

"You're too young for me, sonny." She said, sticking her tongue out at him. He scoffed and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Eh, you're not quite my type anyway. I like girls with hair that's a more rosy hue." He responded in a cocky tone of voice. "Nice legs though." He winked as he turned, leaving Narlafayn with a red face as she tried to pull her skirt down farther.

After a quick trip to the headmaster's room, Narlafayn's situation was explained, and she was given a room for the night. Next was food, and she found herself sitting in a loud cafeteria, surrounded by youth of all ages and feeling very old and out of place.

"Where's Gatz?" Leon asked the brown-haired boy as he sat down with a tray of food. Narlafayn eagerly ate without looking up, not realizing she had been hungry until the first bite of food hit her stomach. She paused, her cheek puffing out with the food she'd stuffed in it as she realized the boy was staring at her speechlessly. She swallowed her bite and cleared her throat politely, embarrassed of herself.

"I don't know, haven't seen him since Sharmin blew her top at Komugi and I earlier." He shrugged, taking a drink from his wooden mug. He put down his cup and turned an eager face towards Leon, his eyes bright and shining. "You'd never guess how far I got with her today, it was great man!" he said in pubescent glee.

"That's quite all right; I'd rather pass on this story." Leon said, holding a hand up before he told any more. "We're in the presence of a lady, Ryonai. It's not polite to talk like that." He said wisely, taking a bite of food. Narlafayn raised her eyebrows, surprised at his maturity. Ryonai scoffed and tossed his head, moving the hair from his eyes as he ate.

"Wait, that girl who was crying was with you?" Narlafayn suddenly asked, putting two and two together. "Isn't she a little young to be 'getting far' with?" She squinted at him, trying to intimidate him with an authoritive look. Ryonai scoffed again and rolled his eyes, turning away from her.

"Not you too. What's wrong with women these days? Just because you didn't get kissed when you were young by a hot guy doesn't mean you have to prevent other people from doing it." He grumbled into his mug as he took another drink. Narlafayn's shoulders scrunched close to her body as she attempted to control her temper. Only one thing pushed her direct anger button, and that was her lack of dating history. She had often been teased about it back in the other world, sometimes quite cruelly. Once she met Vuylay, the sore had been picked open again, as the Dark Elf enjoyed teasing her about her lack of flirting abilities.

"You tuna-baked, half-balled, compensating for a small such and such contemptuous blockhead!" Narlafayn seethed, clenching her fists tightly on the table. Temper growing as he ignored her string of insults, Narlafayn grabbed her butter knife and brought it down in the middle of Ryonai's plate, stabbing through the slice of Elpy meat on it and cracking the plate cleanly in two as it came to rest in the wooden tray. Ryonai jumped and stared at her with wide eyes, glancing down at the plate and back up at her, not believing what had just happened. "I'm going for a walk." She grumbled, leaving the table and walking out towards the courtyard as two sets of bewildered eyes followed her.

"Ok I get it; I won't kiss girls four years younger than me anymore." Ryonai said, lifting his tray and staring at the tip of the butter knife, which protruded a centimeter from the bottom. He lowered it and looked at Leon with a frown. "Your girlfriend is scary." He said in a deadpan tone, lowering his eyelids at his classmate. Leon pursed his lips for a moment before returning to his food, lost in thought.

Narlafayn instantly went to the first tree she could find lining the courtyard and drew her sword. She began beating away on the innocent plant with all of her might, letting a string of insults fly each time her sword hit the trunk. She wore out quicker than she had expected, and leaned over, panting from exertion. When she looked up again, she found Gatz staring at her with large eyes on the other side of the tree, his mouth parted slightly in shock. Narlafayn's cheeks turned pink; she hadn't realized someone was sitting against the tree.

"You know we have a supply of training dummies for something like that." Gatz stated in a small voice, afraid to cross the angry elf. Chuckling nervously, Narlafayn sheathed her sword and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I just got so mad I couldn't see straight." She said, rubbing the back of her head. "I apologize if I hurt you at all…"

Gatz turned away from her and returned to resting his back against the trunk. "Other than this splinter in my cheek, I'm good." He said in an annoyed tone. Eyes large, Narlafayn jumped to attention and knelt at his side.

"Wow, I'm really sorry!" she exclaimed. Sure enough, a splinter that looked about a quarter of the width of a toothpick was embedded in his cheek. She wondered why he just sat there calmly as something as big as that had to hurt.

"S'fine. Pain helps me clear my head." He mumbled, kicking the ground.

"Don't be silly, let me get that out." She insisted, raising delicate fingers to push on the wound. Gatz held still for a moment until she began forcing the splinter back through his skin. He cried out and jerked his head away from her, casting an annoyed glare.

"Just leave it be, it'll work its way out." He said angrily, scooting away from her. Narlafayn frown and put her hands on her hips, meeting his glare with her own.

"You're a swordsman, right? Just endure it like every other injury you get. Don't be such a sissy." She challenged, jutting her jaw out at him. Her words seeming to hit a nerve, Gatz steeled his jaw and sat back up, folding his arms across his chest in a pouting motion. "So why are you out here all by yourself?" she asked curiously as she worked at the wound. "I thought all boys jumped at food when it was offered." Gatz shifted uncomfortably, and Narlafayn couldn't tell if it were from her question or from the splinter.

"You're a girl, right?" he asked after a moment, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

"Last I checked I was, unless females have a new build now." She chuckled. The end of the splinter was coming back through his skin, and she squinted, trying to push it out enough to grab with her fingernails.

"What could a girl possibly see in a guy to have an endless crush on him?" he asked in a burst of breath, wincing as she pushed the splinter farther through his skin. Narlafayn stopped for a moment and looked at him in surprise. She snorted lightly and returned to her task, focusing on the piece of wood.

"Well that depends, does the guy show interest in her?" she asked, her voice amused. The tip protruded enough from his flesh for her to get her fingernails around, and she began to gently pick at it to get a grip on it.

"No." Gatz grumbled, glaring out across the ocean he faced. He groaned loudly and jerked away from her as she smoothly pulled the splinter from his skin. "That hurt!" he exclaimed, holding a hand protectively over the wound.

"I told you I'd get it out." She grinned, holding it up triumphantly. She flicked it into the grass behind them and settled herself against the tree next to him. "As for your question, I suppose he's got a quality in himself that she finds attractive. Maybe it's a quality that she herself desires to have, but since it's already manifesting itself in a boy, it's only natural for a girl to be drawn to that." She said simply. He gave her a blank look for a moment before sighing heavily and drawing his knees up to his chest, which he leaned heavily over.

"You women are confusing. That didn't make any sense." He mumbled. Feeling tired suddenly, Narlafayn stood and stretched as far as she could reach.

"Just give it time; I'm sure if you like her enough, she'll give you a chance eventually. Make sure you present her with your good qualities, maybe you'll have something she desires as well." She said with a smile, turning towards the school. Gatz shrugged lightly, brushing off her comment.

"I've already done that, and she didn't see it." He sighed, not looking at her. Remembering Sir Collin's words about how Gatz made himself invisible, Narlafayn licked the inside of her cheek in thought.

"Are you sure it was really your qualities you showed her, or just what you thought she wanted to see in a person?" she asked seriously. He turned to look at her, his eyes large. Satisfied that she got through to him, Narlafayn smiled and waved lightly. "I'm heading for bed now. Don't stay out here too long, you'll catch cold." She said, turning away from him and walking back towards the school. She entered the room given to her for the night and flopped onto the bed after hastily removing her armor. She was asleep before the secondhand on the clock in the hallway had made a full revolution around the numbered face, and dreamt strange dreams of a bright land that she had never seen before.


	9. Chapter 9

_AN: Yes you'll find another game crossover in this chapter. You'll have to forgive me as I was writing these stories as fictional accounts of my gaming days while playing this character. I continue to play this character in my current games, but other than Lineage 2 and Final Fantasy XI, she was also created in Ragnarok Online. Luckily, the Ragnarok Online part is only serving as a dream sequence, nothing more. :)_

**Chapter 9**

_In which Narlafayn dreams_

Narlafayn winced and shielded her eyes as bright sunlight glared down upon her. Opening one eye a crack she looked up to the trees above her, the sun piercing through and hitting her face. She groaned once and covered her eyes with her arm, groggy still from her deep sleep.

"Did you sleep well?" a male voice came. Narlafayn moved her arm slightly to see a man with green hair falling over the side of his face smiling at her. He was decked out in heavy armor, an indigo cape spread out in the grass behind him. He moved until he was poised over her, hands placed in the grass on either side of her as he looked down at her and smiled. She blushed as she met his gaze, and pushed herself up to sit.

She realized she was wearing a short dress that was skintight and made out of a strange, white ribbed material. It was strapless, and dipped down to the center of her chest, the pieces that covered her breasts seemingly glued on to hold them in place. She wore a feather-lined cape that was also white, a strange bird skull pendant sitting at her throat as a clasp. Two thick, heavy belts rested on her hips, small supply bags and a thick bottle attached to them. She wore knee-high boots that were also white like her dress.

"Come, they're waiting for us." He said, helping her to her feet. Narlafayn drew her hands away from his with another blush, and averted his gaze. She turned behind her and took the handle of a small metal cart that was full of empty bottles, cards with strange creatures on them, and plush toys.

They walked through the lush green forest together, the man telling her of an adventure he had just had while exploring the land. The look he kept giving her made her heart flutter, and she wanted nothing more than to stay near him. It would be impossible she knew, for he was a Crusader, a knight who fought on the front lines of war, and she nothing more than a simple Alchemist, too weak to be of any use in the places he ventured.

"Oh baloney, you don't believe any of that, do you?" Vuylay suddenly sneered, walking next to them. Narlafayn's eyes twitched as she saw Vuylay, the distinct image of someone who looked like her yet had pointed ears and pale blue-gray skin flashing through her mind. She shook her head and blinked, pushing the feeling that something wasn't quite right from her mind. This Vuylay had thick violet hair pulled up into a high ponytail and wore the gold-disk decorated bikini and see through genie-pants number that all Dancers wore. Her skin was a rich ivory, giving her a delicate appearance. She had been Narlafayn's friend since childhood, and didn't approve of the green-haired man walking next to them.

"Why must you always be so mean to me, huh? I thought we were good friends." He pouted, holding Narlafayn's hand. Vuylay rolled her eyes and scoffed, karate-chopping their hands to separate them.

"Don't touch her. Good friends my butt, you just say that because I caught you with another Dancer on Kodomo Island." She glared. Narlafayn instantly felt a pang of anxiety and rejection hit her heart, and she stopped walking, one hand to her chest.

"She's joking, don't believe her." A red-haired Wizard said, walking around her. As stark white as her outfit was, his was the darkest black, making his hair seem brighter than it really was. His hair was in a similar style to the green-haired man's; only it hid his entire right eye from view. Behind him walked a pale skinned Knight with brown hair that was slicked back. He gave Narlafayn a toothy grin, sharp canines gleaming in the light.

"How'd you manage to come out of your hole?" a girl with short brown hair asked, now standing next to Vuylay. She was decked out in heavy armor similar to that of the green haired mans; only her cape was a rich blue and her armor a bone color.

"Narla here managed to concoct a lotion that reflects the sunlight. Lasts as long as I need it to, isn't that grand? Now we can go hunting during the day even!" the Knight said in a gleeful tone of voice. The girl Crusader that Narlafayn's mind identified as Sharmin stopped walking, her face draining of color. "Aren't you excited?" he asked, patting her shoulder.

"Narla, how could you?" Sharmin asked, her eyes filling with tears. Narlafayn grinned sheepishly at her before another image flashed through her mind of someone who looked like Sharmin, only younger.

"Are you ok?" Amari, the Wizard asked, kneeling down to look at her. She squinted in confusion, not realizing she had sunk to the ground. More images flashed through her mind, one of a man who looked similar to the Knight, another of a man who looked like Amari like what she had seen of Vuylay, having blue-gray skin and pointed ears.

"Ahem." The priest coughed loudly, startling Narlafayn. She blinked and looked at him with large eyes, then at her surroundings. She was standing in the middle of the grand cathedral in the city of Prontera, at an altar. In the pews behind her had gathered a small group of people, some she immediately recognized, and some she couldn't place at that moment.

"Did you forget your lines?" a pink-haired Assassin Cross wearing cat ears hissed from behind her.

"Oh!" Narlafayn said loudly, causing some of the people in the pews to giggle. She pushed her veil from her face and looked into the face of her groom, her cheeks reddening as she realized it was the green-haired man again. He had replaced his armor with a black tux, giving him a very strikingly handsome appearance. At the back of the church on his side, a group of Dancers had amassed, and cried daintily into handkerchiefs. Vuylay sat nearby them, on Narlafayn's side, glaring. Behind them, in the church hallway, a Blacksmith pulling a fancy cart full of flowers dashed between the rooms, yelling at the top of his lungs. After he disappeared through the door of one room, a horde of small, squeaking mushrooms with happy faces bounced through after him.

"Do you not want to get married to me?" the green-haired man asked, leaning down to catch her attention. The group of Dancers in the back all stopped crying and looked up hopefully, holding their breath. Narlafayn's heart began to thud in attraction to the man, and she met his gaze.

"Of course I do, I…." she began, reaching out to take his hand. He withdrew it quickly, turning away from her and climbing up the jagged brown rocks that made up Juno's barren landscape.

"What are you talking about; you can't even remember my name anymore." He said icily, glaring down at her. His indigo cape whipped around in the wind, and he steadied himself by stabbing his sword into the rock wall. A lump formed in Narlafayn's throat and hot tears stung her eyes. "You're so wrapped up in your Alchemy you probably don't even remember your own name!"

"But I do, I…." she began, and then stopped as she realized she had forgotten her own name. She shook her head rapidly, reaching up and putting her hands on his armored boot. "You're always gone to these crusades that I never hear anything of except when you fight in them, I had to do something to pass the time lest I go mad!" she pleaded. "I saw you with that girl, I thought you didn't care about me anymore!" she said, her voice edged with hysteria. Her chest felt as if it were being ripped open, he was leaving her! He was leaving her because she couldn't remember his name!

He turned away from her and continued his climb, ignoring her pleading for him to return to her. The rock ledge he stood upon crumbled beneath his weight and before Narlafayn could blink he fell, his body bouncing off the rocks as he tumbled. She fumbled with a bottle from her belt and threw it with all of her might, a tree trunk that had one large green leaf and a green-skinned child sitting upon it appearing from the smoke the broken bottle emitted. The child pointed towards the man and vines shot out from the trunk to catch him before he fell much farther down the ravine. The plant-child gently placed him on the edge of the cliff; its vines withdrawing as Narlafayn dove to his side.

"Drink this, it'll heal you!" she exclaimed, holding a white beaker under his lips. She poured a bit of the fluid into his mouth, only to have it dribble back out uselessly. She cradled his head and sobbed, pushing his hair from his face.

"I'm sorry… I just… I always loved you best." He said, his voice weak and raspy. He reached a trembling hand up to touch her lips, a faint smile crossing his own. His hand slowly fell back to his chest, his head growing heavy in her arms.

"No please…" she sobbed, leaning her head down to touch her forehead to his. "Please…" she sobbed once, curling over him and rocking slightly. "Terebel…"

Narlafayn awoke from her dream with a sob, the feeling of grief still heavy in her chest. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, trying to remember where she was.

"Cedric's Training Hall." She said aloud, as if to commit it to memory. Taking a deep breath as a few tears rolled from the corners of her eyes she sighed. _Such a sad dream_, she thought. _I wonder who that guy was_. Shutting her eyes as the grief faded she rolled over and returned to slumber, dismissing the dream as nothing more than fantasy.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_In which Narlafayn gets seasick again and Sir Cedric gives her a temporary cure._

She was shook from slumber the next morning by a stern-faced teacher, who ordered her out of bed and outside with the students for morning exercises. Narlafayn groggily attempted to protest that she wasn't a student, but that didn't seem to exempt her from school regulation.

She yawned greatly as she stood Leon amid a group of students packed up for the trip to the mainland. At the head of the group, on a raised platform next to the stairs stood Sir Cedric himself, giving the graduating students a speech on honor and discipline. She recognized him as one of the teachers that had been overseeing the students who had participated in the skirmish outside of the harbor. He was a muscular older man, his hair and beard almost completely white. He had been wearing large yellow hakama pants and lacked a shirt when she had seen him previously, but now he was decked out in grand silver armor from neck to toe. He had a commanding presence, and Narlafayn could tell that this man had seen a fair share of battle. If she had been standing there alone, she thought for sure that she would've trembled in fear at the sight of him, but since she was standing close enough to Leon to feel his protecting aura, she felt at ease.

"You will face the most terrible of hardships," Cedric was saying, looking out among the students. "But you will also face the most honorable and enjoyable times you will ever know. Some of you may die, I will not lie to you, but it is how you die that will make the difference. Fight honorably, not because someone has told you to do so, but because it is what you chose to do." Narlafayn glanced at the solemn faces around her, a few students suddenly looking away from their headmaster, thinking twice about the path they had chosen. Narlafayn watched a student slip away and make his way sullenly back to the school, a teacher waiting for him at the door to lead him back to his dorm. She turned back around with a pitying expression only to jump as she found Cedric staring directly at her. "Do not let someone's will influence the path you wish to take." He said, his steel gray eyes boring into her violet ones. "Your decisions are your own, but remember that as you shape the world you wish to live in, you are shaping the world of those around you. Act as if you were a king, a god of the land, and honor those around you as if they were your own family." A cold stone suddenly appeared in Narlafayn's stomach at his words, although she couldn't understand why. He broke his gaze from her and looked around at the rest of his students. "You are going out there into the world as adults, not as children. Make me proud to say that you were my students." With that he stepped down from the podium and led the group down the stairs towards town.

"That was a long speech; does he usually go on forever like that?" Narlafayn asked Leon as he shifted his travel bag on his arm.

"Sir Cedric is heading to the mainland himself today. He's been called back to Aden to serve there, and it's highly unlikely that we'll ever see him outside of the castle once he's there." Leon said, watching the back of his teacher with a faint half smile. "I suppose the speech was his way of an emotional goodbye." Leon sighed and turned to look over his shoulder at the school, which grew smaller as they walked away from it.

"You look like you don't want to leave." Narlafayn observed, watching him. Leon gave her a sad smile before shifting his bag again and focusing on the path ahead of him.

"A little. This place was my home and my class my family in a sense. I'll miss it." He said softly.

"What about your real home and family?" she asked curiously, tilting her head at him. Leon glanced away to look at the ocean and didn't answer her. Narlafayn huffed at his reaction and folded her arms over her chest, walking the rest of the way to town in silence.

A crowd of villagers and students who were not leaving for the mainland stood along the path Cedric took them, handing them provisions for their journey. Before they cleared the town wall, Narlafayn found herself with a new travel pack full of food, clothes and a little bit of money. She looked between the satchel and Leon, confused.

"Maybe I should give this to someone else…" Narlafayn murmured, glancing at the students around her. "Maybe Sharmin…" she squinted as she looked among the teens walking around her, but didn't see Sharmin's familiar figure.

"Fish-Eyes isn't coming with us on the boat, she needs a lot of training yet." Ryonai said as he moved to walk next to them. "Just keep the bag; I'm sure everyone else is well-stocked, so you don't have to worry." He grinned. Narlafayn lowered her eyelids at him, still annoyed by his words to her the previous night. Ryonai sighed in exasperation and tilted his head to the side to accentuate it. "Fine, I'm sorry for insulting you. Geez." He groaned. Narlafayn instantly broke into a smile and patted him lightly on the head.

"You might be a good boy after all." She said in a babying tone. Ryonai dodged her hand and glared, smoothing down the hair she had mussed.

"Hi Ryonai!" a girl with shaggy black hair exclaimed, bouncing up to them. She frowned as she saw Narlafayn and Leon. "Leon." She greeted sullenly. She turned back to Ryonai and latched onto his arm. "Guess what! I've finished my classes too! I'm headed to the mainland to become a Cleric!" she said excitedly, hugging his bicep.

"That's nice, Koyori…" Ryonai said, distracted. "Where's Komugi, she's finished up hers too, hasn't she?" He began to scan the heads around them, looking for the pink-haired girl. Koyori frowned and huffed, sticking out her chest, which Narlafayn couldn't help but notice was rather developed for her age. She looked down at her own small chest and frowned, poking at a breast as if to encourage it to grow. _What do they put in the water here?_ she wondered, shutting her eyes. _And in the Dark Elf Village's water for that matter too… _

"Cedric made it so that Komugi has to stay on the island as Sharmin's personal healer." Koyori said with evil glee. "He thinks it'll help Sharmin advance quicker if she has support." She giggled cruelly, raising a hand to hide her mouth. "That idiot will never advance past wooden armor, just watch." She smirked.

"That's not a nice thing to say, Sharmin's trying her hardest." Leon cut in, his mouth a thin line. "She had a pretty traumatic experience a couple of months ago, it takes a lot to get over that sometimes." Koyori rolled her eyes and returned to clinging to Ryonai.

"What happened a couple of months ago?" Narlafayn asked curiously.

"Some guy bopped the headmaster of Einhovant's Magic School." Ryonai answered, pointing in the direction of the school. Following his hand, Narlafayn could see a roof and a pointed steeple through the trees. "Sharmin was the one who caught him in there, and he tried to kill her for it I guess. DiValmont here saved the day as always and she got away without being hurt too bad." Ryonai rolled his eyes, as if Leon saving the day was a normal occurrence.

"Just shows how weak she is, unlike Ryonai." Koyori sniffed. "Swords people are supposed to be able to endure stuff like that; not dissolve into a frightened Elpy the instant they get poked. She should just go back to being a commoner and leave the bravery to people who can actually be brave." Narlafayn's eye twitched; she was finding this girl to be extremely annoying and full of herself.

"There was a strange atmosphere in that place that night. I don't blame her for being frightened of it." Leon said in a low voice, his face dark with memory. "It was like…. Gran Kain was present there himself, the way the shadows lingered." Narlafayn's skin broke out in gooseflesh as she remembered the hooded man, and how the shadows seemed to linger around him. She shut her eyes in a wince, willing the image away. _Don't be silly,_ she told herself firmly.

The crowd from town followed Cedric and his students all the way to the harbor, where a grand farewell took place. Tears were shed, lips were kissed, and promises of visiting home soon were made. Ryonai disappeared behind some crates with Komugi, and Narlafayn was certain that his promise of not kissing girls four years younger than him was being broken. Sir Collin himself was present, saying farewell to his nephew and Leon. Narlafayn sighed and slipped away from the press of bodies to stand by herself, grateful for some air.

In the corner of her eye she caught sight of a lone figure making their way down a hill that lead to the beach not far from where she sat. She tilted her head curiously and pushed herself off of the crate she had seated herself upon to follow them.

As she crossed over the curve of hill, she now recognized the person as Sharmin. She sat in the sand, her legs drawn up to her chest and her arms folded over the top of them, staring out into the ocean without expression. Narlafayn smiled faintly at how lonely of a picture she made.

"Oh hey, what are you doing all the way over here?" she asked, making her way over to her. Sharmin looked up at her in surprise, not hearing her approach. "Uh oh...you're wearing a dress...did you give up after all?" Sharmin shrugged and leaned her chin on her knees. She wore a short-sleeved, high-necked blue dress that she had hiked up around her thighs.

"No. I'm just wearing it for today." she mumbled, returning her gaze to the ocean.

"Oh." Narlafayn said, shifting her shield on her arm. She paused, waiting for Sharmin to continue explaining as to why she had separated herself from the others. Her heart sank, realizing the girl had dismissed her. "I suppose this is goodbye then." Narlafayn said, holding out her hand to shake Sharmin's. She stared at it in surprise for a moment as if confused as to what it was doing there, then took it cautiously. Narlafayn pumped it happily, a smile growing on her face.

"You're leaving too?" Sharmin asked as she withdrew her hand. "You weren't here for long."

"Nah. I didn't have much to do here." she said, standing up straight. She looked towards the harbor to make sure they weren't boarding yet. "Besides, I made a friend who's leaving today, so I figured I'd accompany him along, take him back to the Elven Forest. It's a much kinder place to train, in my oh so humble opinion. Leon's a good kid, but much too serious for someone so young. He really needs to lighten up" she sighed; not seeing the bug-eyed stare Sharmin was giving her. The ship bell began dinging, signaling the ships' departure in five minutes time. Narlafayn's heart began to thud in her chest with anxiety, despite there being no reason for worry. "Well, there's the bell. I hope I'll see you again sometime. Hurry up and train so you can come to the mainland!" Narlafayn said quickly as she waved and ran off towards the harbor.

She boarded the boat with time to spare and stood at the railing with the students as they waved to their parents and called out their farewells. Sir Cedric took up a post at the head of the ship, in a small crow's nest on the bough, and folded his arms over his chest as if going into battle.

As the ship moved away from the harbor, Narlafayn saw Sharmin suddenly stand up on the beach and climb up a ledge, following the boat's movement. As soon as she reached the top, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted. Narlafayn strained her ears to listen to what she was shouting, but two rowdy teens bumped into her, knocking her off balance and into Gatz' side.

"I'm sorry…" she apologized, looking at him. He was staring hard at Sharmin's figure, his jaw clenched so hard that the muscle in it twitched. His hands gripped the ship's railing in a way that turned his knuckles white, but his face remained expressionless. A light bulb went off inside Narlafayn's head as she remembered their conversation the night before. "Oh dear." She said to herself, shutting her eyes as the pieces fell into place. Gatz liked Sharmin who liked Leon. It was plain to see from just talking with him that Leon had no clue that any romantic drama was happening around him. She glanced over her shoulder at him to see if he had heard Sharmin as well, but he stood near Sir Cedric, staring out over the water. If he had heard her, he gave no visible sign of it. Narlafayn sighed, the bittersweet feeling that most of the passengers felt finally seeping into her, and watched the island disappear into the horizon.

Seasickness didn't hit her until she'd been on the boat for a few hours this time. Leon stood next to her as she hung her head over the side of the boat, holding her hair out of the way. He looked away as she heaved, focusing on the sails with an aloof expression.

"What's going on over here?" Cedric asked, pushing his way through the students who kept their distance from them. He stood on the other side of Narlafayn, assessing the situation with a professional eye. "What's wrong with her? She drunk?" he asked, looking at Leon sternly.

"No sir." Leon answered, his face expressionless again.

"It's no big deal, I just get seasick." Narlafayn managed to say between heaves.

"You should've saved some money for the Gatekeeper then. What kind of loon are you to take the boat when it makes you this sick?" Cedric asked, putting his hands on his hips. Narlafayn managed to push herself up enough to cast him a glare before another heave hit her. "No matter then, what's done is done. Finished?" he asked as she stood, wiping her mouth. She nodded and sniffed, as Leon released her hair. "Good." With that Cedric landed a restrained punch to her already aching stomach, causing her to double over in surprise before unconsciousness claimed her. "There." Cedric said, picking her up gently and carrying her towards the cabin, "Now she'll find travel easier and we won't have to listen to her heave her guts out." He placed her gently on the bed that had been reserved for him and pulled the covers over her. On his way back out he stopped next to Leon and Ryonai, who stared into the cabin in shock. "She shouldn't wake up, but if she does again, one of you give her a knock on the head to put her back out, ok?" he commanded, patting Ryonai on the shoulder as he walked past.

Narlafayn groaned as consciousness returned to her, and opened her eyes wearily. She found herself staring at the familiar ceiling of the room she had rented with Sprissa in Gludin. Hit with a sudden burst of adrenaline, she sat up quickly, then winced and doubled over as her stomach throbbed angrily at her. A tray was set roughly at the foot of her bed, and Narlafayn looked up slowly to find an annoyed Koyori staring down at her with her arms folded across her chest.

"Eat." She commanded, pointing to the soup that had slopped all over the tray. She let out a frustrated noise as Narlafayn stared at her blankly. "Eat it already! God! Sir Cedric made me stay here and watch over your brain dead ass, and now I've missed the chance to travel with Ryonai!" she shouted.

There was a short knock on the door before it opened without prompt, Leon sticking his head around the doorframe to look at her. "Oh good, you're awake." He said, entering. Koyori stomped out of the room as he came in, slamming the door behind her and causing a picture to fall off of the wall.

"I'll have to pay for that I hope she realizes." An acidic voice came from the corner. As Narlafayn's eyes fully focused, she found the red-haired Dark Elf that had prompted her to take the boat seated at a table, a journal open in front of him. "Children are so ungrateful these days…" he mumbled, leaning down and scratching something on the page with an inked quill.

"_We're_ grateful to you sir, for lending us your room." Leon said in an apologetic tone. The Dark Elf sighed lightly through his nose, and didn't look at him. Leon glanced down at the tray of food on the edge of the bed, her soup being soaked up by the bread that had fallen into it. "I'll go replace this for you." He said grimly, lifting the tray and taking it downstairs, leaving Narlafayn alone in the room with the unhappy Dark Elf.

All was silent save for the muted sound of a bird chirping somewhere outside and the scratch of his quill on the paper. Narlafayn fidgeted nervously for a moment, wanting to start a conversation to break the silence, but not sure how. She pushed herself from the bed and stood carefully, making sure she had her land legs back. Clasping her hands behind her back she approached the Dark Elf slowly, leaning over to peer at the book he wrote in.

"Whatcha writing?" she asked curiously, standing on tiptoes in an attempt to read his scribbles. He slammed the book shut quickly, his fingers still on the page to mark his spot, and cast her an annoyed glance.

"It's a private journal, if you don't mind." He stated, not looking at her. Narlafayn huffed and stood, walking back to the bed and sitting on the edge. As soon as he saw her sit, he opened the book back up and began writing in it again, pausing only to take a sip of tea from the cup set to his right. She watched his movements intently, the fighter in her memorizing them.

"You're blind in one eye." She observed, noticing the difference in movement from one side of his body to the other.

"Very perceptive for a novice." He said, mildly surprised. Her hands clenched the sheets on either side of her as her temper flared. "Not many learn to notice something like that until they've become a bit more seasoned in battle." He continued, making his compliment more apparent. Silence enveloped them once more, as he finished writing in his journal. He shut it with a snap and sighed, then unrolled a parchment near the book and began looking over it with a pensive expression.

"Um…thanks for letting me use your bed…" she began awkwardly. The Dark Elf glanced at her again, a half-smile touching his face for a moment before returning to seriousness as he studied the scroll.

"It's not the first time I've had someone take over my bed without my consent." He said in a soft voice, as if remembering something. "Your loud human friend came barreling into the inn when the ship docked, demanding a room. The Inn is booked full right now, I was rather lucky to get this room myself, but the innkeepers seem to be afraid of or respect that man. They ushered him in here right when I was in the middle of a bath and plopped you in the middle of the bed." He sighed bitterly in memory and rolled the parchment back up and placed in a bag hanging off of his chair. Narlafayn stared at the floor hard, her cheeks pink in embarrassment.

There was another knock at the door, and Leon poked his head inside once more. "There's better food waiting for you downstairs instead of soup, why don't you come on down?" Leon said lightly, smiling. Narlafayn nodded and pushed herself to her feet, walking slowly to the door, as her abdomen still was sore from bruising. She paused as she reached the doorframe, and looked over her shoulder at the Dark Elf who hadn't moved from the desk.

"Thank you." She said, giving him a friendly smile.

"You already thanked me once, no need to do it twice." He said, waving a hand to dismiss her.

"My name is Narlafayn, by the way." She introduced, staying stubbornly rooted in the doorway. Antisocial people always bugged her, and she wasn't going to leave until she had gotten some sort of universal friendliness from him. The Dark Elf stared at her for a moment, as if sizing her up, before returning to the book he had opened up on the table.

"Amari." He grunted, turning a page. Familiarity struck her at that moment, and she frowned, trying to remember where she had heard that name before.

"Narlafayn, food." Leon reminded her, touching her arm. Narlafayn stepped through the door and shut it softly behind her, casting one last glance at the man at the table before latching it.

Leon treated her to as hearty of a lunch as she could handle before taking her to Koyori, who healed the bruise Sir Cedric had left on her abdomen. The Mystic grumbled the entire time, still upset about Ryonai leaving before she had a chance to latch on to him, but healed her to the best of her ability anyway. Keeping his promise, Leon followed her as she had the Gatekeeper send her to Gludio, and from there they began the long trek back to the Elven Forest.

The journey was over a month long, as they had to travel the length of the Neutral Zone and through the Elven Forest. Narlafayn grew comfortable enough in the teen's presence to tell him of the other world she knew, and became distressed as she realized more memories of it were missing from her mind. She could no longer remember the name of the city she had lived in, or of the man whom she distinctly remembered having feelings for.

Leon taught her only a portion of what he knew of sword fighting, claiming that if he taught her all he knew, it would influence her current style too much to the point where her teachers would not advance her because of the vast differences in it. She pouted a bit at this, but made him promise to teach her what he knew later, when it came time for her to advance. It was the first day of fall, on a chilly, rainy mid-morning when she and Leon finally reached the Elven Village.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_In which Narlafayn attends a village-wide Christmas party, and there is mistletoe._

It was late winter by the time Leon was able to leave the Elven Village. Narlafayn stood on the path and watched him as he walked away from her, through the forest towards the Neutral Zone. It was a bright, crisp morning, the forest covered in a blanket of white snow that was slowly melting. Her breath crystallized in the air, and she hugged the thick fur cape around her body tighter, trying to keep warm. Next to her, Vuylay stood partially huddled over, also wearing a thick fur cape. She had pulled the large hood over her head, partially hiding her face from view, and her teeth chattered loudly.

Letting out a sigh, Narlafayn cast the Dark Elf a sidelong glance, lowering her eyelids at her in annoyance. "You know you didn't have to come along." She said, putting her hands on her hips. Vuylay turned her head to face her quickly, the cape's hood falling over her face farther.

"Yeah right, and risk you running off again without me?" she said icily, pushing the hood back so she could see her companion. "Do you know what kind of hell I had to go through staying in that house with the lunatic and tree hugger?" she pointed towards the town as she spoke, her voice rising. "I was afraid to sleep! I couldn't even use the restroom without fearing for my life! No way in Gran Kain's hell that I'm going to let you run off without me again!" With that she folded her arms across her chest, huffing loudly. "Come on, he's gone now, let's go back. I'm freezing." She muttered, turning around. Narlafayn took one last glance towards Leon, who was but a speck on the horizon now, and smiled wistfully before following Vuylay.

The time spent in Leon's company seemed to go faster than she had expected. He was a very guarded young man, and didn't speak much of himself despite the months he lived in the Elven Village. Narlafayn grinned to herself as she remembered the first time she brought him to the Dark Elven Village. His reaction seemed to be similar to hers when she first laid eyes on Dark Elves. He had taken a particular interest in chatting with a Dark Elf girl who looked nearly his age at the time, but did not give away if his interest was anything deeper than curiosity.

Vuylay had been angry when Narlafayn returned to the village, and still didn't let her live it down, even with apology after apology. Lavinia and Mune had returned during Narlafayn's excursion into the world, and Mune had quickly returned to her sharp hatred of Dark Elves. According to Cesa, Mune would begin chasing Vuylay the moment she woke up to the point where the Mystic was too frightened to return to the Village until after Mune had gone to sleep. Lavinia had recommended she return to the Dark Elf Village, just until Narlafayn returned, but Vuylay stubbornly stayed rooted in the Elven Village.

Once Vuylay laid eyes on Leon, she quickly dusted off her old flirting habits and targeted him with it. Leon seemed impervious to her ministrations, if not just plain oblivious. This only seemed to encourage her, as odd as it was, her sole goal while he was in the Village seemed to get some sort of response out of him. Her efforts were in vain, however, as Leon seemed to be unphased by blatant seduction.

As they entered the village once more, Narlafayn noticed two things that seemed out of the ordinary. The first was that there were more people than usual roaming about, some running past with bags full of wrapped parcels. The second was the sudden appearance of potted fir trees as tall as her, decorated with shining balls and stars. A dwarf with a hearty beard traded crystals to eager young children who handed him what looked to be a flowerpot filled with a branch and two ornaments similar to what was on the trees now decorating the town. One of the children held the crystal between their hands and shut their eyes, concentrating for a moment before the crystal flared with a light and began to float in the air, spinning slowly and playing a melody.

"What's all this?" Narlafayn asked, watching as the young Mother Tree in the center of town shook her branches to dislodge snow from it. The water nourishing her roots had frozen over on top, and pairs of Elves slid upon it wearing strange boots with metal blades attached to them. In the corner of her eye, Narlafayn thought she saw the figure of a Dark Elf darting around a house in pursuit of a giggling Light Elf, but when she turned to look fully, they were gone.

"You mean you don't know?" Vuylay asked in bewilderment, drawing Narlafayn's attention. Narlafayn frowned and pulled the end of the cape off the ground as she walked towards the house.

"This is my first winter in this world, of course I wouldn't know." She glared. Vuylay rolled her eyes as she stepped out of the way of an Elf darting across the village carrying a large cake. He stepped upon the edge of her cape however, and tripped, the cake flying through the air and landing on the head of Cesa, who had happily seated herself next to one of the fir trees.

"It's Grand Saint's day." Lavinia stated, standing near the frozen pond surrounding the young Mother Tree. She held a melting snowball, which she tossed between her hands to keep her flesh from getting cold. "It's where all races get together to honor the gods which created them, and each other by exchanging presents and making offerings to the temples. Even the Dark Elves take part in this." She added, nodding at Vuylay. She tilted her head slightly at Narlafayn and asked, "Didn't you say Bastok had a similar tradition?"

Narlafayn stared at her blankly for a moment, trying to remember what a Bastok was. "Oh yeah." She said quickly, attempting to end the conversation. She didn't want anyone to know yet that it she was increasingly forgetting things from the other world. It made her uncomfortable to hear that Bastok word, even though she was ignorant as to what it meant. "So what's the snowball for?" she asked, smiling nervously. Next to her, Vuylay raised an eyebrow, catching Narlafayn's sudden change of subject. Behind them, Mune emerged from the grocery store to see Vuylay, and dropped her parcels as she drew her sword and advanced upon them, Vuylay and Narlafayn oblivious to her aura of ill intent.

"This." Lavinia said smoothly as she let the snowball fly. It smacked Mune square in the face, halting her charge towards Vuylay.

"Nice shot." Vuylay complimented, walking past the statuesque Light Elf. Mune glared at her sister as the snowball slid off of her skin and plopped to the marbled street.

"I hate you." She glowered, casting Lavinia the most evil look she could muster. Lavinia patted her younger sister on the head and breezed past her, leading Narlafayn and Vuylay towards the house.

"So this Grand Saint's day is why everyone is hurrying around like there's going to be a storm?" Narlafayn asked, watching children follow Lavinia's example and toss snowballs at each other. An elder coming from the temple was suddenly smacked with a large clod of snow, and the children scattered as he shouted at them.

"You mean you didn't hear about the masquerade?" Lavinia asked, surprised. "It's a once-a-year event that the Elven Village hosts that all races are welcome to attend." She explained. She chuckled to herself, and motioned to Mune. "Not even Mune can get away with being psychotic on this night. Dark Elves and Orcs are just as welcome here as Humans and Dwarves."

As they entered the house, a happy squeal met Narlafayn's ears, and she found herself tackled by a brown blur. "Glara?" Narlafayn questioned, finding the attacker to be the Elder herself. "Glara!" she squealed, hugging her back with equal excitement. The two rocked and giggled in matching shrill tones, both as enthusiastic to see the other. Vuylay winced and stuck her fingers in her ears to drown out the noise.

"Oh my gosh Narla! I'm so happy to see you!" Glarawen exclaimed, pulling away to hold Narlafayn's hands happily. "Come, come, I have someone I want you to meet!" she said, leading Narlafayn into the dining area. Seated quite peacefully at the table, sipping tea was Dasniall and a fair-haired Light Elf wearing blue armor. Narlafayn let out another squeal and attacked Dasniall in a hug as he stood and held his arms out.

"You, woman, worried me to death!" Dasniall said in a mock stern voice, pinching her cheek. "I looked all over Gludio for you, where did you go?" Still beaming, Narlafayn could only muster out a laugh, as her throat had seized up from emotion.

"My, you're still alive." Vuylay said, raising her eyebrows at Dasniall. "I thought for sure you would've fallen for the Grand Pirate himself and gotten yourself immobilized by now." Her tone of voice was light despite her words, and Dasniall grinned roguishly at her.

"My dearest Vuylay, I would never do that." He said, bowing. "The Grand Pirate would fall for _me _instead, and I would render _HIM_ immobile." He winked, pushing a hidden meaning into the sentence and causing Narlafayn to blush. "Now I hope dear Narla hasn't gone and found another strapping young Dark Elf to replace me, because if she has, I want to meet him first and give him a one-over. To test his worth of course, only the best for Narla." He said, pouting. Before Narlafayn could respond, Glarawen drew her attention away and pulled her over to meet the other Light Elf.

"Narla, I'd like you to meet November, my…. My…" she hesitated, her face deepening into the darkest blush Narlafayn had ever seen.

"Your girlfriend, go on, it's not hard to say." Dasniall urged, resting his elbow on Vuylay's shoulder. Vuylay's eyebrows rose in surprise, and she folded her arms beneath her breasts.

"Wow, a girlfriend. I didn't know you were interested in that sort of thing." She said, genuinely impressed.

"It's not exactly like that…" Glarawen said, her blush extending down her face to her neck. "We met in Cruma tower and…."

"I'm pleased to meet you finally, Narlafayn. Glarawen has told me a bit about you." November stated in a professional, yet friendly tone of voice, interrupting Glarawen. She took Narlafayn's hand and shook it lightly, smiling. It struck Narlafayn in that moment that there was something… masculine about November, despite her dainty appearance. It relieved her a bit to know that she wasn't the only Light Elf that didn't seem to act like the stereotype.

"Oh Narla-barla, haven't you passed the test to become a Knight yet?" Glarawen asked as she, Narlafayn, Lavinia and Mune walked through town together. Dasniall and Vuylay had disappeared somewhere together, intent to catch up on old times. Knowing Dark Elves, Narlafayn couldn't help to imagine what catching up entailed.

"Not yet…I got a little behind when I went journeying across Gludio Territory…" she said sheepishly, shutting her eyes with a nervous grin.

"Well that just won't do." Glarawen stated stubbornly, puffing her cheeks out with a pout. "So that decides it, when November and I leave for Gludio again in the spring, you're coming with us! Maybe a change of scenery will do you good, I can imagine this place must get boring after a while." Narlafayn's heart filled with joy at the prospect of leaving town with Glarawen, and she grinned broadly.

"I hate to change the subject to more immediate matters," Lavinia suddenly piped up, the two Elves attention turning to her, "but you do have a dress for tonight, don't you?" Narlafayn froze, her eyes large, and looked down at her hard leather armor skirt and bodice, then back up at the group. Mune sighed bitterly and put a hand to her head, shaking it. "Well that answers that." She said, walking again. "I'm sure Cesa has an extra set of robes in the house or in storage, we'll just lend you that for the night.

"What are you going to wear, Glara?" Narlafayn asked. Glarawen held a finger to her own lips and giggled.

"November spoils me." She said mysteriously.

"Great Eva, you're not hanging those again." Mune said as they stopped beneath a ladder. Perched on top, tying a bundle of leaves and berries to a post was Cesa, her hair still wet from the impromptu bath she had given herself.

"Yes, I am." Cesa said, sticking her tongue out. "It's tradition Mune, I'm not going to stop it just because you hate it." A Pixy flew up and tied a knot in the string as she held the sprig in the spot she wanted it to hang from.

"What's that for?" Narlafayn asked, squinting up at the bundle.

"It's a Grand Saint's Day tradition of Human origin. If a couple gets caught beneath those mistletoe sprigs, they have to kiss each other." Lavinia explained again. "Sometimes same-sex pairs get trapped beneath there, it's really quite amusing." A wicked grin spread on her face and she glanced at Mune. "One year Mune got caught underneath it with a Dark Elf who only more than gladly stole her first kiss from her. That's why she hates Dark Elves so much now." She snickered. Mune's face paled in memory, and she froze, taking on a statuesque form once more.

"_That's_ why you hate Dark Elves?" Narlafayn asked incredulously. "Just over a kiss?" Mune recovered and bared fangs in Narlafayn's direction, invisible steam rising off of her.

"That kiss was meant for someone special, dammit!" she snarled. The snow melted around her feet from the heat of her temper, and she clenched her fists. "Besides, that disgusting creature was kissing EVERYONE who walked by him. I secondary kissed half of the village in that second!" she shuddered, paling again with that thought.

"Maybe you'll get a kiss too, Narla." Glarawen winked, causing her to blush. "There will be plenty of Dark Elves here, so who knows?" she continued, moving away from her and back towards the house.

"Glara!" Narlafayn exclaimed, embarrassed that Glarawen had noticed her interest in the darker side of the Elf kingdom.

The day passed quickly, and before Narlafayn knew it, evening had fallen. The village was lit brightly with magical orbs, and through the combined efforts of the Magisters from the Elf, Dark Elf and Human villages, they erected a barrier around the village and created a springtime temperature atmosphere inside. Cesa had pulled out a stark white, long-sleeved bodice and short skirt trimmed in a steel gray for Narlafayn to wear. It was decidedly plain compared to the fancy robes and dresses that everyone else had either rented or purchased for the occasion. She was given a simple white mask trimmed in pearl loops to cover her eyes with. The overall effect, with her silver hair, was quite angelic despite the simplicity of her attire.

Glarawen emerged from the house on the arm of November, wearing a beautiful white and silver robe set that Narlafayn instantly recognized as Avadon robes. It was expensive, and usually sold to more accomplished fighters. She had a full mask, which she held up to her face on a stick. It was decorated with pink and purple boa feathers and streamers, the eyes decorated in clown-like triangles, also purple and pink, and the lips painted a dainty rose. November had taken off the large shoulder guards of her blue armor, and just wore the chest plate and strange bikini-like half skirt gaiters. She had polished it, giving it a very formal gleam. Her half-mask was a simple butterfly shape, decorated in brilliant purple and blue sparkles.

Through the gates and emerging from teleportation spells nearby the Gatekeeper came scores of people. It almost seemed to Narlafayn as if all of Aden and a portion of Elmore had turned out for the event. Everyone was decked out in their finest, some robes shining with an almost ethereal glow, everyone wearing masks of different shapes and sizes. The amount of Dark Elven men that had begun to gather made Narlafayn's heart pound, and she began to fidget. Each and every one of them had a mysterious air that intrigued her and left her breathless. Even Dasniall himself, a Dark Elf she swore no longer had an effect on her made her heart pitter-patter in his rented white and gold majestic robes.

"Stop that, you look like you have to pee." Vuylay hissed next to her ear, startling her. Narlafayn whipped around quickly to find the Dark Elf dressed in the black-brown and silver Magic robe set. Narlafayn relaxed a bit, as her robe set wasn't fancy either. There was a large diamond cut in the front, exposing her chest down to her belly button. She held a white half-mask to her face, which had a black circle over one eye and was trimmed in feathers.

"I'm sorry, there are just so many of them…" she whispered back, motioning slightly to the Dark Elf men whom sat and talked with each other nearby.

"Get used to it; you'll see them all the time once we get out of this village." Vuylay said with an evil grin.

"Dearest Narla, would you care to dance?" Dasniall asked elegantly, approaching her and offering his arm. Narlafayn blinked at him, her jaw dropping open slightly as her mind went numb at the sight of him.

"Narla appears to have momentarily been struck dumb by the raw sex we emit. I'll dance with you until she recovers." Vuylay offered, taking his arm in her stead.

"Pity, but alright. I hope my sex doesn't out raw your sex, my old friend." He challenged playfully, leading her away.

"Let this be a competition of sexes then." She said coyly as they disappeared into the crowd.

The night proceeded slowly, food was brought out, and pairs would disappear for minutes at a time after being caught under the mistletoe. People seemed to be taking care to make sure that no one of the same gender be embarrassingly caught under the mistletoe, if the same gender was not what they preferred. Narlafayn lingered near the stairs leading to the shopping portion of town, watching everyone dance with a wistful smile on her face. She felt a little lonely, but she firmly told herself she was having more fun watching people than attempting to dance and embarrassing herself.

She giggled as a pair of Orcs attempted to waltz and crashed into Cesa, who carried a plate of cake. The cake flew through the air and landed on one of the decorated fir trees, Cesa staring at it in horror. She burst into tears and flew to the tree, crying apologies at it as she attempted to clean it up.

An uneasy feeling suddenly jolted through her, and she got the distinct feeling that someone was watching her. Sitting up straight, she scanned the shadowy street around her curiously. Her muscles froze and her heart began to thud in her chest as she saw a Dark Elf leaning against the weaponry store, holding a shorthaired Light Elf against his body. The Light Elf was kissing his neck and the portion of his chest she'd managed to expose passionately, but the Dark Elf was definitely watching Narlafayn instead of his partner.

He wore a red and gold half-mask, his black hair falling over one side of his face in a style that struck Narlafayn as familiar. His face was expressionless, but his eyes watched her with an intensity that both intrigued and frightened her at the same time. Not understanding the strange urge to run up to him and push his current partner out of the way so she could kiss him instead, Narlafayn instead opted to push herself to her feet and hurry into the crowd.

She bounced off of bodies as she ran blindly, concentrating too hard on clearing her mind instead of watching where she was running. She received several angry protests, and after bumping into an Orc, was shoved roughly, causing her to loose her balance.

"Hold on there, are you all right?" a familiar voice asked, grabbing her by the elbows to support her until she regained her balance Narlafayn looked up to find Amari looking down at her in surprise. He wore a dark green tunic and mage's skirt, which was richly embroidered in silver and gold. His half-mask was a simple silver, the sides extending up and curving around the top of his head like strange ears or horns. "Have a little too much to drink? Dre Vanul wine will make one tipsy, and I know the Hierarchs brought plenty from the Village."

"No, no I haven't had anything to drink but water." Narlafayn said quickly, her cheeks rosy from embarrassment. She tilted her head as recognition kicked in at the same time as him.

"Oh, you're that Nar…Nara…fin?" he thought hard, a hand to his chin.

"Narlafayn." She corrected him, mildly annoyed.

"Ah yes. You have a strange name, so it's a little difficult to recall. I should remember it now." He said good-naturedly. "I see that you made it out of Gludin safely, how have you been?"

"Hey, hey! What's this?" a man gloated, stumbling slightly as he approached them. "What is this I see?" he grinned under his half-mask which was gold and decorated with studs along the hairline.

"You see me chatting with an acquaintance Vlad, that is what you see." Amari said simply, taking a mead bottle from Vlad's hand. "What did I tell you about drinking Dwarven mead anyway? You know you have no tolerance for this stuff." Behind him, Vuylay and Dasniall waltzed close, grinning at them widely for a reason Narlafayn couldn't yet pinpoint.

"Oh psssht." Vlad sputtered, waving his hand as if to bat away an annoying insect. "My vision is just a little obscured, but I'm thinking clearly, thank you." He stated, reaching for the bottle.

"And your speech is slurred. You've had enough for tonight." Amari said coolly, turning it upside down and pouring it into the water surrounding the mother tree. Nearby, Cesa's ears perked up and she stared at the liquor being sucked up into the tree's roots with a horrified expression.

"I see you under the mistletoe with a girl, is what I see." Vlad continued, ignoring his disappearing mead. Both Amari and Narlafayn froze and glanced up, their eyes widening as, sure enough, there was mistletoe hanging peacefully above their heads. Vlad's hand shot out as Amari lifted a hand to blast the thing from existence with a well aimed fire spell, wrenching it downwards with a mischievous grin. "You know the tradition, Amari. Be a man, take one for the team." He gloated.

"Is this the thanks you give me for what I've done for you?" Amari growled. Narlafayn continued to stare speechlessly at the mistletoe, then slowly lowered her eyes to stare at the red-haired Dark Elf.

"Look at that everyone! A threesome under the mistletoe! I think this is a first, don't you?" Dasniall suddenly said loudly, drawing everyone's attention. The music stopped as the crowd turned to face the two elves and human, who stared out with blank expressions.

"I'm not in this." Vlad said quickly, releasing Amari's hand.

"Yes you are. Cesa was nice enough to draw us circles to show the mistletoe 'boundary' this year. Vuylay grinned, pointing to their feet. Sure enough, drawn in a magical glow, was a circle that encompassed Amari, Narlafayn and half of Vlad's leg. "Besides, if you don't distract Cesa by 'taking one for the team', she's going to have your important parts for fishing tackle after you dumped that mead into the Mother Tree's water." Vuylay added in a low voice, nodding towards the seething Elf. As if on cue, standing in the middle of the crowd with glowing eyes and red battle aura steaming off of her, was Cesa.

"Woo woo, go Narla!" Glarawen cheered from somewhere in the crowd.

"Why would you do this?" Narlafayn asked her Dark Elf friends with tearful eyes. Her temper flaring at the smirk Vuylay wore, Narlafayn took a breath and steeled her will. "Fine, let's get this over with." She said, tossing her hair over her shoulders. Before either man could react, she grabbed each of their faces in turn and planted a quick peck on their lips. The crowd around them cheered as she turned away from the bewildered pair, and she bowed stiffly and marched into the crowd.

"Ok, now your turn." Vuylay urged wickedly, earning a steel glare from Amari.

"Well old chum… Every day is a new experience…" Vlad stated, pulling a scarf from his dress coat and pushing up his mask to tie it around his eyes. "At least we had a pretty girl to kiss before the execution, eh?"

"You've got to be kidding me…" Amari said, drawing away from him.

Narlafayn leaned against a post, holding a glass of the Dre Vanul wine Amari had spoken of. She had taken only a sip, and already felt a strange buzzing in her head. She didn't enjoy it, but was afraid to throw it out, as the Dark Elven Hierarchs cast her dark glares every time she attempted to.

The time of present-exchanging had long since past, Narlafayn receiving an expensive jewelry set from Glarawen and November, and a set of textbooks she would need for skills once she became a Knight from the three sisters. Vuylay had given her a new brush set for her hair, and her teacher, who was heavily drunk on Dre Vanul wine, had given her a passing grade for the holiday. Narlafayn's gifts in return had been simple; magical threads bundled together called spirit shot for Vuylay, potions for Lavinia and Mune, and a tiny sapling from one of the willowy trees in the Dark Elven Village for Cesa. She hadn't expected Glarawen and November to arrive so she had no gifts for them, but Glarawen told her that her advancing would be gift enough for them both. Her tone of voice at that time had been mysterious once again, and Narlafayn idly wondered what Glarawen had planned.

Narlafayn sighed and set the cup of wine on the ground, not caring if the Hierarchs noticed, and wandered to the outer rim of the village. She leaned heavily on the railing and stared out across the snow-dusted meadow. Dimly, in the moonlight, she could make out the Starlight Waterfalls, which still flowed despite the cold temperature. She sighed, her breath barely showing in the cooler air near the edge of town.

"Good night Narla." Glarawen called as she and November passed. Narlafayn smiled at them as they disappeared into the house, Glarawen's head leaning on November's shoulder. She whipped back around as she felt a presence behind her. Her heart began to thud in her throat as the Dark Elf she had seen earlier stood silently, watching her without expression once again. He held out a hand of invitation to her as she took a step backwards, fighting the urge to flee. She glanced around, looking for his partner, but not seeing her anywhere in sight.

"What do you want?" she asked cautiously, silently cursing herself for the way her voice wavered. The Dark Elf didn't answer, but only offered his hand again. Narlafayn raised her hand hesitantly before slowly placing it in his. He changed his grip instantly and drew her close to him, putting one hand at the small of her back as she fell against his body. She blushed and looked up into his face as he began to move, leading her in a dance.

The musicians had long stopped playing, the Dwarven and Human bards already drunk on mead and wine and laughing raucously from the center of the village. A music box played from the bedroom of an Elven child's, serenading them as they danced. No one seemed to notice the pair dancing in the moonlight except for a few pixies that giggled as they flew about them, showering the ground with glowing fairy dust. Narlafayn felt as if she were something ethereal in that moment, and wished for it to go on forever.

Neither of them said a word to the other, as no communication was needed. He spun her gently, stirring the fairy dust and causing it to swirl about her. It clung to her white skirt, making the garment fancier than anyone else's had been. As she returned from the spin, the Dark Elf held her gently against his chest, and slowly slid his hands up her arms to cup her face and remove her mask. She drew in a shaky breath as he let it fall to the ground, and shut her eyes as he lowered his face to hers. They were not under mistletoe, but he kissed her with as much enthusiasm as his partner had been showing him earlier. It took her breath away, and she felt weak in her knees. He pushed her against the side of a building. Whether it was someone's home or a closed store, she didn't care, and continued to kiss as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Hey Narlafayn!" Mune suddenly shouted as she approached. The Dark Elf broke the kiss quickly and moved away from her, disappearing into the shadows. Narlafayn cleared her throat and retrieved her mask from the ground just as Mune rounded the corner.

"Can I help you?" she asked, clearing her throat again, brushing the fairy dust from her mask.

"What happened to you?" Mune asked suspiciously, pointedly staring at her mussed hair. Narlafayn's eyes dotted as her wine and hormone buzzed mind attempted to piece together an excuse.

"I don't think Dre Vanul wine sits well with me." She managed to come up with. Mune's eye twitched and she sighed in disgust.

"Why would you even drink something that came out of a Dark Elves brewery?" she asked bitterly. "Come on, you have training tomorrow, you should get to bed." She said, grabbing Narlafayn by the wrist and toting her away. Narlafayn looked over her shoulder forlornly as Mune pulled her towards the house. The Dark Elf was nowhere in sight, and Narlafayn's heart sank. She had wanted to see his face, but now she mourned that even if she saw him again, she would never recognize him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_The Day Narlafayn's World Changed.  
A dark Chapter_

Spring came with a burst of color in the Elven Forest. Before Narlafayn could get her mind around it, she was packed up and requesting a spell from the Gatekeeper to Gludio. As the Elven Gatekeeper began chanting her spell, Narlafayn took one last look over her shoulder at the Village around her. A pang of homesickness hit her heart, and she knew that it would be a long time before she would return to that place.

The three sisters were present, giving them a teary-eyed farewell. They supplied Narlafayn with yet another travel pack, filled to the brim with supplies. Mune handed the overstuffed bag to her with a stern warning that if that one were to be lost, she would have Narlafayn's hair as a wig. Vuylay insisted on accompanying her this time, eager to finally be free of Mune's psychotic episodes. She was farther behind Narlafayn in studies, as the Magisters in the village refused to teach even common spells to her. Traveling to Gludio meant she could catch up on studies at the Dark Elven guild there, and she was eager to become an Oracle.

There was a whoosh, and suddenly Narlafayn found herself staring into inky darkness as the spell took effect. Before she could blink, she landed on her bottom near the Gatekeeper of Gludio, who giggled at the expression she made. Narlafayn sighed and stood, brushing dirt and gravel off of her legs, when suddenly there was a yelp, and Vuylay popped into existence on top of her, causing her to fall back to the ground.

"Oh, that landing wasn't so bad." Vuylay stated, pushing herself up.

"For you it wasn't." Narlafayn groaned. Vuylay looked down at her without expression, then stood slowly, like an elderly person. "Knock it off!" Narlafayn growled, pushing her up by her bottom. "I know you move faster than that!" Vuylay grinned at her smugly as she stood, and twirled a lock of hair around a finger.

"Well, now that we're here, I'm off to the Dark Elven Guild, see what I need to catch up on." She said, a coy smile growing at the slow blush creeping across Narlafayn's cheeks. "You can do what you like, though, I might be awhile. You know, talking to all of those mysterious dark-haired men that will surely be in there…" Narlafayn had not told her of her encounter with the Dark Elf the night of the party, but Vuylay had suspected something must've happened by how Narlafayn had been distracted for weeks afterwards. She'd taken every chance since then to tease Narlafayn about it, finding that the words 'mysterious' and 'dark-haired' seemed to get the most response out of her. "Bye now." She said airily, strutting around a building towards the guild. Several men stopped to gape at her as she passed, their eyes instantly drifting towards her chest or her rear. She had taken the Magic robe set she wore to the masquerade as her normal attire since that night; pleased with the reaction it gained.

Glancing about her surroundings with the aura of a thief, Narlafayn tip-toed through the street after Vuylay, diving behind buildings when she thought the Mystic was looking over her shoulder. Peeking around the corner of a clan hall, Narlafayn squinted as Vuylay chatted with a Dark Elf man standing outside of the guild for a moment before entering. Narlafayn tiptoed to the doorway, earning a glance of suspicion from the man Vuylay had just spoken with as she peeked inside.

The interior of the guild was decked out in rose, blood and black colors, and was dimly lit. It definitely resembled the design of anything from the Dark Elven village, as if it had been ripped from that place and put in Gludio. The outside of the building was the same classic stucco that the rest of the houses were in town; the inside didn't fit it at all. Milling about inside were young looking adventurers, all gathering around two teachers standing along the wall. There was an official looking man that wore robes resembling those of the Hierarchs in the Dark Elven Village overseeing everyone with a cold expression. Her heart fell as no elf resembling the man from that night met her eyes, and turned away from the building with her shoulders drooping.

"Narly!" Glarawen called, waving to her as Narlafayn walked towards the square. Glarawen's brown Robes of Seal blended into the color of the houses behind her, making her hard to see when she stood still. Next to Glarawen stood November, speaking to a human with short brown, shaggy hair whose back was turned to Narlafayn. He wore silver plate armor and had two swords, one sheathed on each hip. Glarawen took her hands and smiled as she approached, squeezing them. "Nov has got a room rented out in the inn for you and Vuylay," she began, waving Narlafayn's hands back and forth. "We have to run to Gludin for clan business, but we'll be back soon!" Narlafayn's smile shrunk a bit for a moment, but she forced it back to full wattage.

"Alright then, have a safe trip." She said, squinting her eyes shut. As sad of a fact as it was, she was getting used to being left behind. Anticipation grew inside of her; she needed to get stronger and fast, so she wouldn't have to depend on anyone anymore.

"Oh yeah, Tex," November stated, turning around and smiling at Narlafayn, "I'd like you to meet Glarawen's friend Narlafayn. She's here to become a Knight." The man turned and looked at Narlafayn with raised eyebrows. He was tall, and towered nearly a foot over the three elves. He had lazy looking eyes and a scruffy face, and gave Narlafayn a cocky grin as he held out his hand to shake hers.

"Good meeting ya." He grinned, giving her a mock salute. His smile dropped as he inspected her face through half-shut eyes, and reached out a hand to push a strand of hair behind her ear from where it had lodged itself in the corner of her mouth. Narlafayn's eyes popped open and her face went beet red as his cocky smile returned. "She's cute." He said to November in an approving tone.

"Oooh…" Glarawen began, "Tex and Narla sitting in a…" Her song was cut off as Narlafayn tackled the Elder, clamping a hand over her mouth.

"Well darling, we should be off…" November said with a chuckle. Narlafayn released Glarawen as November took her hand. "Be careful Narlafayn, alright?" she cautioned. Her mind still shocked into confusion from Tex's flirting, she first shook her head, then caught herself and nodded vigorously.

"See you around." Tex said, turning with a wink. Narlafayn's face reddened again, and she smacked her cheeks once they had disappeared around the building to request a spell from the Gatekeeper.

"Stop it." She commanded herself. "You're keeping an eye out for the Dark Elf, don't get distracted by some guy's flirting."

"To whom are you talking to?" Vuylay asked, startling her. "You really need to learn to sense people's presence better, you're always getting startled." She nagged, frowning. Narlafayn stuck her tongue out at her and made her way towards the inn. "So where's the lovey dovey flying hearts pair?" she asked, following her.

"They left for Gludin, something about clan business." Narlafayn repeated, her eyes shut.

"Again?" Vuylay stated, incredulous. "Can't those two stay put long enough to socialize for once?" she shut her own eyes in an expression similar to Narlafayn's. "I don't know why you keep hanging around them, they just d-"

"No, you can't take it!" a male voice greeted them as they entered the inn. The two girls halted to find a Light Elf youth in blue armor like November's standing in the lobby, clinging to a potted tree. Narlafayn was instantly reminded of Cesa; with the way he cradled the sapling.

"Sir, that tree is half dead, let us dispose of it!" a plump woman wearing a barmaids dress said, reaching her hands out to him. "It's been knocked over fifteen times since you've been here, I'm getting tired of cleaning up the soil!"

"It's not the tree's fault! Don't destroy it just because some oafs were too clumsy to watch where they were walking!" he shouted, his blue eyes filling with tears. He turned away from the woman and crooned to the tree in a low voice.

"Is it just me or does he remind you of…." Vuylay began, her eyes dotting.

"Yep." Narlafayn interrupted, shutting her eyes firmly. She sighed and shook her head once before squaring her shoulders and marching forward. "Dear brother, this is where you've hidden yourself!" Narlafayn said loudly. The blonde youth looked around quickly, and then back to Narlafayn, his eyes large. Narlafayn grabbed him around his neck and brought it down to her level in a form of headlock. "Do forgive him, kind inn mistress, but he hasn't been right since lightning struck the mother tree while he was climbing it. I'll be sure the tree is taken care of, don't worry!" she assured the woman, dragging the youth towards the back of the inn and out the door leading to the back alley. Vuylay followed, tittering nervously as she passed the inn manager.

A few minutes later, Narlafayn sat in her rented room on the bed. The youth, whom introduced himself as Celleriant, stood at the window with his hands upon the glass, staring forlornly at where Narlafayn had forced him to deposit the tree outside of the building. The glass steamed as he breathed out, giving him a very childish appearance.

"It'll be lonely out there…" he said in a tear-filled voice.

"Aww, it's alright…" Vuylay crooned, petting his shoulder-length hair. "Come, you may cry on me if you'd like, I shall comfort you." She pulled him away from the window by his head and pushed his face into her cleavage. Celleriant froze, his arms extended out on either side of his body. From where Narlafayn was sitting, she could tell his face had turned a dark red. Vuylay grinned coyly at her, pleased with his reaction.

"I'm sure the tree will be all right out there. It's probably much happier outside than in here, in the dark." Narlafayn sighed, leaning her elbows on her knees. The Light Elf now suffocating between Vuylay's breasts looked younger than her, as if he were more Leon's age, yet wore distinguished armor of someone who had already become a seasoned fighter. Pushing the self-pity aside, she sat up straight. "So where is a good place to train, here? I need to become a Knight as quickly as possible!"

Vuylay raised her head to look at her in interest. "Why the sudden rush? We just got here." She pouted, petting Celleriant's hair.

"Murl fmivarmn bradks" Celleriant answered her from the depths of Vuylay's bosom.

"Where?" Narlafayn asked, leaning towards him. Celleriant put his hands on Vuylay's hips and pulled his face free with a loud suction noise and turned to face her. Narlafayn clamped her mouth shut to restrain her laughter as two red spots stood out on either side of his face where Vuylay's breasts had pressed against his skin.

"Maille Lizardman Barracks." He said breathlessly. His eyes grew large again and he looked at Vuylay without turning his head as she began to stroke his hair seductively. "I can take you there, I'll meet you downstairs!" he said quickly, darting from the room. Vuylay made a noise of protest as he left, reaching out towards his fast departing figure.

"Can't you behave around boys?" Narlafayn groaned, putting a hand on her head as Vuylay stamped her heeled boot to the floor.

"But it's so fun to tease the young ones." She said, sticking her lower lip out.

Noon had past before Celleriant finally led them towards the Maille Lizardman Barracks outside of Gludio. It was a trek of several hours over hilly plains, the trees sparse and grass still dry and brown from winter. Gludio Castle resided to the east, and was in sight from where Narlafayn was traveling. She glared and stuck her tongue out at it angrily.

"You hate the current lord of Gludio?" Celleriant asked, noticing her motion. Narlafayn smiled in embarrassment, not realizing he'd been looking at her.

"Nah, I just seem to have bad luck with that castle and it's siege timing…" she said with a laugh.

"Oh… Well, here we are!" he announced, pausing and spreading his arms as if to embrace the forest that lay ahead of them. "Don't go in too deep, or you'll meet up with the Matriarchs. They're merciless for a novice." He said grimly, pointing in the direction the Matriarchs roamed.

"I'm not a novice." She grumbled, pulling out her sword and marching into the trees. She froze, one leg in the air, as a squeal and the sound of rapid scurrying met her ears.

"Be careful of the giant spiders too! King of the Araneid always has three subjects with him!" Celleriant called. On cue, the giant spider and three smaller spiders hurried past her and into a deeper part of the forest.

"Thanks for the warning." She said in a voice too low to be heard.

Hours passed. Narlafayn found the task of finding and slaying Lizardmen to be more tedious than anticipated. The Lizardmen were strong, and more than once Vuylay had to assist her with her weak attack spells or heal her wounds before they grew severe. She almost felt guilty killing the beings, as their eyes shone with intelligence that not even the Kaboo Orcs roaming about the Elven Village had. Vuylay kept reminding her of the profit she'd make from the items she pilfered off of the beast-men, which helped in stiffening Narlafayn's resolve.

Celleriant remained near them, happily roaming from one tree to the next, putting his hand on the trunk and smiling brightly at it. Unlike Cesa, he did not attempt to hold any conversations with them that Narlafayn could hear. He'd cast a nervous glance towards Vuylay every so often, and turn back around quickly as she looked at him, his ears pink. She grinned at Narlafayn smugly, as if to show off that her powers of flirtation had not diminished during the time she spent in the Elven Village.

"Whose house is that?" Narlafayn asked, pushing her hair away from her sweaty forehead. Ahead of them, in a clearing, sat a large cabin, a full stable sat behind it and a well sat in front. Celleriant peered around her, then smiled.

"Oh, that's the place where an old Dwarven priest lives. It's an orphan's home for girls. He's quite nice, isn't he, to take in all of those children?" he said, touching a tree and looking up into it's branches.

"Sounds a little fishy to me." Narlafayn stated, deadpan, as she sheathed her sword. She perked up as a faint noise met her ears. "What was that?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"What was what?" Vuylay asked, approaching her. Narlafayn shushed her and held up a hand, straining her ears to catch the sound again. "I don't hear anything…" she whispered loudly. Narlafayn had just cast her a glare when the noise reached her ears again. It was faint, but almost sounded like a whimper of some sort.

Drawing her sword again, Narlafayn took a step towards the house, her expression determined. "Wait, you can't go over there like that! You might scare the children!" Celleriant called, following after her.

Narlafayn approached the stable cautiously and paused outside its wall for a moment before whipping around the corner and holding her sword tip out ad the thing she heard making the noise. A frightened girl, her hands and feet bound, stared at the point of her sword with large eyes. She let out a strangled cry, a gag shoved into her mouth.

"Holy geez..." Narlafayn exclaimed, sheathing her word and kneeling by the girl. "Who did this to you?" she asked, removing the gag from the girl's mouth.

"Those men…they mean to do us harm!" the girl whimpered as Narlafayn began to work at the knots tying her hands up. "Hurry before they see you and sell you off to the slavers too!" she urged, tears filling her eyes.

"Some orphanage." Vuylay commented, looking into the other stalls. In each one sat a bound and gagged girl, some crying, and some staring emotionlessly into the hay at their feet. Narlafayn and Vuylay instantly went to work, untying the girls.

"The old man would never do this!" Celleriant cried, his face pale. He crouched to the ground and took the girl's untied hands, holding them gently between his own. "Tell me who did this." He looked into her eyes with the gentleness that only a Light Elf had, and the girl relaxed, tension of who knows how many days fleeing her body in that moment.

"Some men from a clan called 'Chronicles of Pain' forced their way into the house two nights ago, and have been living in there since. They put all of us out here, planning to sell us to the slaver for money when he travels past here next." Tears welled in her eyes, but her expression was that of hope. "Oh please help us! I'm worried about the old man, he never harmed anyone, and he doesn't deserve this!" she pleaded, holding Celleriant's hands to her chest. With all the suaveness of a gentleman, Celleriant kissed the girl's forehead and stood, a serious look darkening his features.

"They're coming!" another girl cried. Before Narlafayn could stand bravely and pull her sword to fight as well, small hands closed around she and Vuylay's arms, pulling them into a stall and pushing them behind farm equipment. "They don't touch us saying to sully little girls is dishonorable, but I'm sure they would surely have you both and then kill you before you could cry!" the same girl worried, peering at them before throwing a large pile of hay over them.

"This is embarrassing." Vuylay muttered, shoved into an awkward position on top of Narlafayn. Her breasts had shelved themselves on top of a shovel blade, preventing them from collapsing into Narlafayn's face. "We're being protected by children who are supposed to be of more innocent mind than us." She said blandly, trying to shift. A piece of equipment clinked with her movement and one of the girls hissed to remind them to stay silent.

There was the sound of conversation, the words too faint for Narlafayn to catch completely. She turned her head slowly to peer through a space underneath the pile of farming tools, her eyes widening as she saw Celleriant challenge three men, an Orc shaman, a human and a Dark Elf, pulling out dual blades that she had never noticed him carrying and wielding them with deadly accuracy. His duel went quickly, the human landing an immobilizing hit with his dagger to Celleriant's abdomen. The Elf toppled over like an unstable building, crashing to the grass in a loud clatter of armor. The Orc lifted him by his hair and spat into his face before letting him drop again.

"Wait a minute…" the Dark Elf stated, kneeling and lifting his head up again by his chin. "You're a Swordsinger, aren't you?" he asked, staring hard into Celleriant's eyes. Celleriant let out a few choked sounds, his words incomprehensible to where Narlafayn laid. Satisfied, the Dark Elf let him fall back to the grass and stood, turning to his companions. "He can be useful, he'll live for now." He said, walking towards the stall Narlafayn was hidden in. Her breath caught in her throat and her body tensed up as he approached, grabbing the shed rope from the hay and tying the frightened girl in the stall up once more. "You were smart not to run." He said to her as she whimpered.

Narlafayn felt Vuylay suddenly draw in short breaths, and looked up to see the Dark Elf's face skewed into the expression one gets before a sneeze. Her eyes wide, Narlafayn shook her head slightly and mouthed 'No', trying to will the impending blast away. She shifted her knee suddenly, bumping it against Vuylay's crotch, the surprise of the hit turning the sneeze into a moan that sounded like "Nyan!" Her cheeks reddened and she pressed a hand over her mouth, casting Narlafayn an angry glare.

"What was that?" the Dark Elf asked, looking up from the girl. Narlafayn turned her head to stare through the hole again, her eyes wide. The Dark Elf stood and made his way towards them slowly, his eyes narrowed.

"Hey, get back here!" the human shouted from outside. "Phuong, she's getting away!" A gasp caught in Narlafayn's throat as the Dark Elf stood up quickly, allowing Narlafayn to see the girl that she had freed first, dashing away as fast as her legs would carry her. The Dark Elf left the stall quickly, and conjured up a spinning disk of wind and sent it at the girl. It hit her in the center of her back, the spell making the edges of the disk into a jagged razor. Narlafayn squinted her eyes shut and looked away before she saw what fate had befallen the child. She heard Celleriant shout "No!" from outside the stall before the Orc growled and thwacked him with his staff. A sob welled up in Narlafayn's throat as she opened her eyes again, to find Vuylay staring down at her in shock. Unexpectedly, tears fell from Vuylay's eyes, her lips parting as she realized the little girl had run to distract the Dark Elf from finding them.

"Let's go, we've lingered outside too long." The Dark Elf stated, casting one last look into the stall before walking away.

"Shouldn't we get the body?" the human asked, rubbing his head with a disgusted look.

"No, the spiders will find it and dispose of it for us before long." The Dark Elf stated, walking past him and into the house.

A half-hour later, the equipment and hay was pulled away from the two elves, the worried face of a girl peering back at them. "Are you ok?" she asked in a loud whisper. Vuylay and Narlafayn stood shakily, muscles aching from being stuck in a strange position. Vuylay rubbed underneath her breasts, where the shovel blade had cut into them. Behind the girl that had released them, the rest of the girls had gathered, holding each other and crying over the fate of their friend.

"I want you girls to run to Gludio." Narlafayn murmured, exiting the stall and staring at the house.

"Narlafayn, that's suicide for them! The spiders, remember?" Vuylay protested, putting a hand on Narlafayn's arm. "They're no more safer out there than they are here. Why don't we take them there?" Narlafayn stared at her without emotion and turned to look at the house.

"Because someone has to get Celleriant." She said simply. Her eyes narrowed as she remembered the first time she ventured into the Elven Fortress. "Phuong." She growled, her expression dark.

"Let me get this straight, that time that you got your ass handed to you in the Elven Fortress was caused by this Phuong guy? Are you sure? He's way too powerful to be hanging out in the Fortress, that place is for novices." Vuylay said, waving her hand to accentuate her words.

"Exactly." Narlafayn agreed, adjusting her gloves. Behind her the girls huddled in one stall, each of them holding a scroll of escape to be used in case Narlafayn's rescue mission turned sour. "He was hiding out down there, don't you get it? He thought no one would look for someone of his strength in such a weak spot. Plus he gathered plenty of us novices around him to use as distractions while he got the upper hand on his assailant." She explained, taking off her sword belt and throwing it to the ground.

The three men had emerged from the house and sat just out of sight around a campfire which they cooked the houses' provisions on. Celleriant was nowhere in sight, so Narlafayn assumed he was still inside the home.

"Ok, Vuylay, I want you to do things like this…" Narlafayn began, watching the light of their fire flicker off of the cabin with hard eyes. "I need you to distract them with your Dark Elf wiles while I go in there and drag Celery and that old Dwarven Priest out—if he's still alive." Vuylay's eyes bugged out at her in shock, and she froze.

"But they might want a little more than seduction…" Vuylay said in a small voice, clutching a hand to her chest.

"So? You're a Dark Elf, aren't you? That sort of stuff is normal for you, isn't it?" Narlafayn asked, looking at her in confusion. When she didn't respond, Narlafayn turned and held her sword out to the side. "Let's go." She murmured, creeping towards the house. Vuylay lingered behind her for a moment, her face shadowed by her bangs, before taking a breath and following after her, wrapping a hand around her dagger sheath and squeezing it, as if for luck.

"Hello? Can you help me?" Vuylay called out as she approached the camp from the woods. She stood at the edge of light the fire gave out and looked around, biting her lip. "I was following the path from Gludio, and I seem to have lost my way in the dark…could you direct me back to it?" she asked as the men stood cautiously. The human, who had put a hand on the hilt of his dagger, relaxed and smiled, walking towards her. The Orc, the lower half of his face covered by the tall collar of his armor, watched her with an intense gaze. The Dark Elf Narlafayn called Phuong ignored her, and threw twigs into the fire.

"Sure we can, but why don't you sit with us for awhile, I'm sure it's cold out there in the woods. Come by our fire, it'll take the…. Chill…off of your body." The human offered in a feeble attempt at being suave. Vuylay inwardly winced at his lack of ability to cover up his true intention, but forced a coy smile onto her face and strutted into the clearing.

"Why thank you, that's very kind. I was getting a little chilly." She purred, taking a seat on a log near the Orc and crossing her legs elegantly. Phuong looked up at her and narrowed his eyes slightly. Vuylay attempted to ignore it and cast the Orc a seductive grin, who looked away from her quickly. Phuong stood up suddenly and put a hand on the human, leaning close to his ear and saying something before moving away into the woods.

"Where are you going?" The Orc asked, raising his head.

"Must relieve myself." Phuong answered, his voice fading as he disappeared into the dark. Vuylay tensed slightly, then forced herself to relax as the human sat down next to her. _He wasn't heading towards the house, he was heading towards Gludio._ Vuylay reassured herself as she beamed at the human.

"Aw, it's a shame your friend had to leave; I was hoping to talk with all three of you." She pouted prettily. "It's rare to find three handsome men in the middle of he forest like this, especially in the Barracks." She grinned, running a finger along the log in a suggestive manner. The human looked at the Orc and chuckled, scooting closer.

"Don't worry about Phuong, he's a bit anti-social." The human grinned, putting a hand on Vuylay's leg and sliding it towards her crotch. "Why don't we get to know each other instead?" he said huskily, leaning towards her to kiss her. Vuylay gently pushed his hand away and dodged his mouth, giving him a playful look.

"Now, now, don't be greedy." She scolded in a flirtatious manner. "Let's chat for a little until my skin warms up, hmm?" she cooed, touching the human's chin with her fingertip. "It's been so long since I've had the company of another Dark Elf that I'd like to wait for him as well." The two men glanced at each other again and chuckled, then stood and closed in around her. Vuylay looked up with large eyes, scooting back on the log to withdraw away from them. Her hand reached for the dagger that was sheathed at her back and closed around the hilt.

"It'll be a long time before he's back, slut." The Orc growled, reaching for her. "Might as well satisfy us now, he'll have his turn with you once he's tasted the blood of your stupid novice friend." Vuylay's heart stopped at his words, her breath catching in her throat. How did they know? There was no way they could've seen them! Did that Celleriant talk?

"Yeah, there's no way, if you were truly lost, that you would've known we were in the Lizardman Barracks." The human added with a dark grin. "Your act was pretty convincing minus that fact though, you really got me turned on."

Without hesitating, Vuylay whipped out her dagger and cut across the human's face, opening up a deep gash across his cheekbones and nose. He cried out loudly and hunched over, covering his face. The Orc snarled and smacked her across the cheek, then grabbed her around the neck, right under the jaw and slammed her into a tree behind their camp. She released the dagger as stars burst from behind her eyes, stunned.

"That's it bitch, you're really going to get it now." The human growled, lowering his hands to glare at her. Blood spilled down his face, but he didn't move to wipe it away. Still dazed, Vuylay could only watch in fright as the two men closed in around her.

Minutes prior, as Vuylay disappeared into the woods to begin her distraction act of the men, Narlafayn crept up to the house and peered in one of the windows. It was dark inside, and she couldn't see anything. Holding her sword under her arm she crouched in front of the door and looked cautiously around before turning the handle and entering silently, thankful that it was unlocked.

As Narlafayn walked slowly through the dining room, she could hear the faint ticking of a clock somewhere within the house. The long table set down the center of the room was covered in parchment and half eaten food. As her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she could make out various trinkets stacked about the walls. A groan met her ears and she turned quickly to find a plump Dwarf tied to a coat stand. His head and face were caked in dried blood, which also had matted into his beard.  
Letting out a soft gasp she darted over to him and sawed through the knot holding his hands above his head with her sword. The fibers snapped and dropped him to the ground with a thud. "Are you all right?" she whispered loudly, sitting him against the wall. He groaned and coughed, his face distorted in pain.

"Angelic being, you must've been sent by Maphr herself." The Dwarf said in a hoarse voice, smiling feebly at her. "My girls…are my girls safe?" he asked, putting a meaty, calloused hand over her slender one.

"They're all safe." Narlafayn lied, trying not to think of the girl earlier that day. She wondered how many more had met the same fate.

"Carna Maphr." The Dwarf said, shutting his eyes.

"Hey…hey!" Narlafayn whispered, shaking him, afraid he had died. A soft snore suddenly came from his nose and Narlafayn relaxed with a sigh. The poor Dwarf was so relieved that he had fallen asleep on the spot. With a soft smile, she stood and tiptoed out of the dining room. She crept up a set of stairs, wincing as it creaked under her weight. Scooting down a dark hallway, a faint sound of ragged breathing met her ears from behind a partially shut door. She pushed it open slowly and peered in, scanning the room.

"Celleriant?" she called softly, looking at the beds that lined the walls.

"No." a deeper voice answered her. She gasped loudly as the dark figure of Phuong met her eyes, seated on the edge of a bed. She turned to flee, just as a bright light flashed and knocked her off her feet. She fell out of the room and slammed chest first into the wall across the hall, her sword clattering to the floor. She rolled to her back as she slid to the floor, her hand blindly groping for the hilt as she winced in pain. "You must be stupid to challenge me." Phuong said, standing over her with his arms folded over his chest. "Who sent you, was it the First? Are you just a distraction for a bigger attack to come? Tell me before I gut you." He pulled the dagger she remembered killing the assassin in the Elven Fortress with from its sheath inside of his robes.

Waiting for the feeling to return to her legs she rolled her head against the wall to glare at him through the top of her eyes, her hair falling over her face in strands. Phuong frowned at her and crouched, grabbing her roughly by the chin to inspect her face. "My, my. So you survived." He said as he released her and stood again. "I don't know how you found out I was here, tramp, but I applaud you for giving revenge a shot. I'll speak of you after death a few times, so don't worry about your memory being forgotten." He took a step back and began to chant, a ring of magical fire surrounding him and a ball of flame appearing above his head. Narlafayn's eyes widened and she rolled out of the way just as he released the spell, the fireball going through the wall, leaving a smoldering trail behind it.

She pushed herself to her feet and stumbled down the stairs, somehow managing to fling open the door and run into the night. She rounded the house gasping for air and froze as the two men met her eyes. They were both standing against the tree, their trousers down around their ankles as if urinating. Both looked at her in shock, embarrassed at being caught in such a state. The human moved to the side slightly, and Narlafayn could see, slouched on the ground, wearing only her underpants, was Vuylay. She had a substance, which Narlafayn didn't wish to identify covering her face and hair. A surge of anger bursting through her, Narlafayn held her sword up and charged at the two, letting out a battle yell. The human stumbled backwards, trying to yank his pants back up and dodge her at the same time. A ball of air that felt more like a boulder suddenly slammed into her back and she was laid flat again. Phuong grabbed her by the wrist and wrenched her into the air, squeezing until the bone cracked, causing her to release her sword in pain.

"Are we gonna do her too?" the human asked, trying to belt his trousers. The Orc had turned back to Vuylay, and had forced her head to his waist.

"The mere thought of emptying my seed into this trash bin disgusts me." Phuong spat, releasing her. "Light Elves are good only when their limbs are decorating the ground, nothing more." He grabbed Narlafayn's hair at her scalp and wrenched her head back, placing his dagger against her throat. "Tell your goddess hello for me when you see her in heaven." Phuong grinned, pressing the blade into her skin firmly.

Narlafayn's eyes widened as the forest around her disappeared, and she found herself lying inside a roaring inferno. A woman with long black hair looked down at her and smiled darkly, reaching her hands into the flame and scooping her up. _"Would you like a life of your own?"_ she heard the sultry voice ask and laugh at the same time, even though the woman's lips did not move.

She was snapped back to reality as a shout met her ears. Phuong released her hair and she fell forward again, a small cut the only injury to her neck. Leon jumped from a hill behind the tree, landing on the Orc with his shield. He then stood up and swung his sword out, meeting the human's dagger with a shower of sparks. He whipped his shield out, which hit the man in a burst of orange electricity, knocking him backwards and out of consciousness. The Orc growled and stood, wiping at a stream of blood on his mouth and glaring at Leon.

"Narlafayn, are you alright?" Leon shouted to her. Narlafayn could not hear him, however, and stared at the grass, the only sound she heard was a loud ringing in her ears and the roar of the flames she had seen. Her fingers slowly wrapped around hilt of her sword, no longer feeling the pain of the break in her wrist. She raised slowly, the metal of her sword ringing as the blade scraped along the grass. Phuong backed up in fright as she opened her eyes to look at him, the pupils extending to blot out her iris and whites. She raised her sword and gripped it with both hands, holding it at the level of her eyes and charging at him without a word. Phuong quickly chanted his fire spell and released it towards her face, but she passed through it as if it were just a puff of air. He backed up a few steps before turning on heel and bolting in the direction of Gludio with the fear of a man about to die. Narlafayn crouched and propelled herself forward, her sword meeting his flesh and tearing through the enchantments on his robe to pierce him through the heart.

Her eyes widened and returned to their normal violet as he fell to the grass, leaving her crouched to the ground and staring at a bloody sword. She dropped her sword, her hands suddenly shaking, and began to hyperventilate. Leon's arms wrapped around her shoulders as she held her shaking hands shoulder-width apart and began to sob hysterically, the gravity of what she had done hitting her in the full force that only raw reality can manage. Leon held her firmly as she cried, pressing his forehead against the back of her neck and rocking her slightly, understanding the horror she was going through at that moment.

Leon somehow managed to bring Narlafayn, Vuylay and the injured Celleriant back to Gludio without breaking a sweat, and left them in the care of a red-haired Bishop named Fiona as he ventured back to the Orphanage with a few guards. Narlafayn lay on a cot in the back of the church, staring at the steepled ceiling with her eyes as large as they could go. She woodenly turned her head to stare at Vuylay, who lay with her back facing her on the cot next to hers. On the other side of the room was Celleriant, Fiona holding her hands over the Elves abdomen, a ball of light glowing under her hands as she healed him.

"Vuylay." Narlafayn said in a raspy voice, reaching a hand out to her friend.

"Don't touch me!" Vuylay suddenly said with force, curling up under the blanket. "I don't want to look at you." Her voice was thick with tears, and she drew the blanket up higher, shivering.

"I'm…sorry." Narlafayn found herself saying, still staring with unblinking eyes. Vuylay whipped around to look at her, her face distorted into a mournful expression.

"You didn't even listen to me!" she cried, tears dripping from the corners of her eyes. "I was ostracized for more than one reason in the Village, don't you understand?" When Narlafayn didn't respond other than her prolonged stare, Vuylay sobbed once. "I've never taken anyone, and I've never been taken by anyone you idiot!" Narlafayn blinked once at this, surprised but not quite feeling it.

"You're a…you're a vir.."

"Yes!" Vuylay cried, not wanting to hear Narlafayn say it. She covered her face with her blanket as Narlafayn returned to staring at the ceiling. "I'm all talk and no show, understand now?" she sniffled.

"So those guys…?" she attempted to ask, but found she couldn't finish her sentence.

"No, luckily." Vuylay's sullen voice came, muffled by the blanket. "They wanted to be thorough and start from the top, if you know what I mean."

"But on Grand Saint's day...I thought for sure you and Dasniall were…" Narlafayn trailed off, looking at her again. Vuylay pulled the blanket from over her head quickly, her hair mussing in the motion. Her face was distorted into a look of disgust.

"Gods, no." she said, crinkling her nose. "Dasniall and I have been friends since childhood, we learned how to flirt by bouncing it off of each other. There's no spark of romantic attraction there at all." She stated.

"Shush now, get some rest so you can recover." Fiona said, holding a finger to her lips. Celleriant, now fully healed, sighed loudly and rolled onto his side. "Don't make me find a Sorcerer to silence you!" she warned, shaking her finger like a school marm. Vuylay rolled her eyes at Narlafayn, but turned to sleep anyway. Settling herself beneath the covers as Fiona doused the light, Narlafayn shut her eyes, shock wearing away and leaving exhaustion in its wake. She had killed for the first time, but she knew that she had to be strong and pass over it quickly, or she would never be able to stand on her own. She let out a sigh and pushed all thoughts of the night out of her head by attempting to recall the night of the masquerade.

_"She's cute."_ She heard Tex's voice say in her head.

"Mou!" she groaned, as her face lit up in embarrassment, and pulled the covers up to hide her cheeks.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_In Which Narlafayn FINALLY Becomes a Knight, and begins to wonder if her aura is scented with something that Dark Elves like_

Two days after returning to Gludio from the Barracks, Narlafayn was standing in front of Master Sorius, the elf swordsman who had been assigned to her as her teacher, receiving her instructions on the task she had to complete to become an Elven Knight. Her heart pounded in anticipation as he instructed her carefully to journey to the Ruins of Despair and retrieve jewels to create a brooch from the undead skeletons wandering about the former glorious city. She exited the Warrior Guild after he dismissed her and took a breath, trying to calm her giddiness to keep a face of cool.

"So?" Leon asked, pushing himself from where he leaned against the building. Narlafayn gave up on the cool act and let her face stretch into a grin as she faced him.

"It doesn't seem hard, I just have to kill some skeletons down at the Ruins of Despair. I think the hardest part will be the journey." She said, rubbing her hands together. Leon chuckled, amused at her excitement

"Don't think that I'm going to let you leave without me." Vuylay's commanding voice came. She stomped towards them, folding her arms under her breasts. "I don't care what you say about my health I'm going to—" she let her sentence trail off, her eyes widening.

"You're going to…" Narlafayn repeated, waving her hand in a circle as if to prompt her to continue. Vuylay didn't answer, and instead her eyes glazed over, her face draining of color.

"On second thought, I think I'm going to stay here." She murmured, turning away from them and hurrying towards the inn. Narlafayn and Leon watched her go, and then looked at each other in matching confused expressions. Narlafayn shook her head and shrugged.

"I've never seen her do that before." She said, taking her pack, which Leon had been holding for her.

"That's a little different from the phantom pain thing she did in the Elven Village." Leon agreed, shouldering his own pack as they began walking towards the southern exit.

Up in the inn, Vuylay sat in the room she shared with Narlafayn, straddling a chair and hugging the back of it tightly, staring hard into space. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she tried with all of her might to resist the unwanted feelings that were suddenly coursing through her.

"You really do enjoy torturing me, don't you?" she said to no one, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the chair. She winced as images of a brown-haired human, a teen who was not quite a man, flashed through her mind. "Why are you doing this to me…" she whimpered, shutting her eyes hard as tears of longing threatened to spill forth. She was filled with the inexplicable urge to be touched, to be near the youth she was seeing in her mind, although she did not know who he was. "Why are you doing this…Shizuka…?"

The Ruins of Despair was a two-week journey from Gludio's south gate. The wind blew from the south, bringing with it the arid heat from the Wasteland. A heavy fog hung over the former farming city, making it hard to see far ahead of them.

She and Leon caught up on what the other had been doing during the months they spent apart. He had long since become a Knight himself, quickly advancing past Narlafayn to the point where she was embarrassed of herself. He had graduated from the bronze armor she last saw him in to a yellowed Mithril set, and carried a long silver sword with a wide, flat hilt that curved up on the ends. Narlafayn kept casting glances at him, noticing how his face and body had matured in such a short time.

He sat on the spongy ground as she hunted down the former occupants of the area, slaying them as fast as she could, death not dulling the sword skills they had in life. "Argh, this is so frustrating." Narlafayn proclaimed, kicking through the skeleton's bones in search of the topaz pieces. Leon chuckled and turned the page of the small book he had carried with him, his eyes moving slightly as he read.

"We've got all the time in the world, so don't try to rush yourself." He said wisely, putting a hand to his chin in thought. He glanced up at her as she looked away, masking the mocking face she had been making at him. "How are you holding up, by the way?" he asked seriously.

"What are you talking about? I'm doing fine, these things are surprisingly over rated." Narlafayn said, crouching for a moment as she scanned the ruined houses around her.

"You know what I'm talking about, and it's not the skeletons." He stated, snapping the book shut. Narlafayn stared at the ground and poked her finger into the cracked dirt, wiggling it to make a hole.

"I'm just not thinking about it." She said sullenly, lifting her hand to pick out the dirt lodged under her fingernail with her thumbnail. "I don't really want to talk about it." She stood up and adjusted her shield before walking towards a house she heard telltale-rattling emanating from.

"Fair enough." Leon complied, opening his book again.

A few days over a month after she first began her quest, Narlafayn returned to Gludio weary, but her mission complete. Twenty topaz pieces clinked together in a leather sack she had tied to her waist. She entered the Warrior Guild triumphantly, and presented Sorius with the bag.

"Excellent, you have enough here to make your brooch." He complimented, peering into the bag and shaking it. "Now take it to Gludin and speak to Blacksmith Kluto and have him make the jewelry for you." He said, handing the bag back to her. Narlafayn stared at him with large eyes, unsure if she'd heard him correctly or not. "Go on, quicker you go, the quicker you'll get back." He waved his hands as if shooing her, and turned away to speak with the other Light Elf in the guild.

Narlafayn left the guild decidedly wearier looking than when she had entered. "Uh oh." Leon grimaced, seeing her expression. "That wasn't it, was it." He asked. "Well, no matter, let's get some fresh food and some rest tonight and we'll start the next part tomorrow, alright?" he said with a smile.

Vuylay applied a cold compress to Narlafayn's aching shoulders that night and gossiped about the happenings of Gludio right up until Narlafayn fell asleep. Narlafayn couldn't understand why Vuylay hadn't started her tasks to advance, as she was long since finished with her studies by this time. For the time being, Vuylay seemed content to stay in Gludio, despite her earlier desire to see the world. When Narlafayn told her of the impending trip to Gludin, she rejected the offer to go, and instead holed herself up in the inn with a book. Her change in personality confused Narlafayn, but she didn't question it.

Leon lent Narlafayn a few extra adena to make the trip to Gludin by Gatekeeper, so she wouldn't have to take another long journey across the continent. Upon arriving in the harbor village, she rushed straight to the Blacksmiths to speak with the Dwarf Kluto. He inspected her bag of topaz for a second before sighing heavily and tossing it into a bin behind him.

"Hey!" she exclaimed angrily, reaching for it. Kluto stepped in the way, blocking her from retrieving the bag.

"I'll make it if you retrieve some emeralds from the Ol Mahum Novices for me." Kluto stated, stroking his beard. "20 pieces will do, I believe that's a perfectly even trade, since I am doing this for free after all." He dismissed her by turning around to talk to another Blacksmith in Dwarfish, leaving Narlafayn to stare at him in disbelief, a few strands of hair poking out of her head like jagged antennae.

Leon accompanied her once again as she dragged herself to the Abandoned Camp, another two weeks of travel from Gludin. He assisted her this time, the Ol Mahum more intelligent than the skeletons in the Ruins of Despair, running to assist one another if they caught sight-or scent-of someone attacking one of their own.

Ol Mahum were hyena-men that walked on two legs. They were decked out in full armor and wielded swords and bows with deadly efficiency. They had been sent over from Gracia during the war, but had lost the ability to return home. So they remained in the camp that the Gracian army had once used, plotting for the day where they would take over Gludin and use the harbor to ferry them passage home. For a full week Narlafayn hunted the Novices that ventured outside of the camp proper, Leon taking care of any archers or warriors that would rush to the younger Ol Mahum's aid. Now two months after first accepting the quest from Sorius, Narlafayn stood in front of the Blacksmith once more, dark circles under her eyes, looking more ragged and old than she had ever looked before, holding a bag of emeralds out to him. Kluto took it eagerly and counted the pieces.

"Oh, here." He said, tossing a small black box at her as he turned away, staring at the emeralds in glee. A hopeful smile crossed Narlafayn's face and she held the box in her hand for a moment before pulling on the lid. "DON'T open it." Kluto suddenly shouted, making her jump. "You can't open it, it's tradition. Take it back to Gludio and present it to Sorius." He said, waving his hand to shoo her. Narlafayn hurried out of the Blacksmith's shop and towards the Gatekeeper, where Leon was waiting for her.

"Narla?" a high-pitched voice came. Narlafayn skidded to a halt near the Gatekeeper and looked over her shoulder to find a surprised looking Glarawen staring at her. "Narla, what are you doing here?" Glarawen squealed, running up to her and tackling her in a hug. Narlafayn fidgeted underneath the Elder's grasp, her emotions conflicting over staying to speak with Glarawen or returning to Gludio and becoming a Knight.

"What's this?" November asked, coming up next to Glarawen. "Is that the Elven Brooch box I spy?" she asked, a smile growing on her face. Narlafayn smiled nervously and didn't answer, embarrassed by the look of pride crossing Glarawen's face.

"Oh Narla, I'm so happy for you!" Glarawen exclaimed, hugging her again.

"I haven't become a Knight yet…" she began, inching towards the Gatekeeper.

"But you're almost there, this is great!" Glarawen said, covering her mouth with her fingertips. "Oh Nov, she needs that reward we were planning now!" November stared at her blankly for a moment before her memory kicked in.

"Oh yes!" November agreed, opening up her pack and digging in it. "Narlafayn, if you'd accept, I'd like to formally invite you into The Gangsta School." November stated, pulling out a black cloth embroidered with the letters TGS and the image of a strange object that resembled a pirate's pistol. "It's a sub-clan of the one Glara and I are in, but we're allied so we'll all be together." November stated with a smile. Narlafayn stared at the cloth with large eyes, and looked up to the elder and her lover.

"For me?" Narlafayn asked in a small voice, darely hoping to believe. The last thing she ever expected was to join a clan, let alone a clan that Glarawen was associated with. Glarawen nodded enthusiastically, urging her to tie the cloth to her armor. Beaming brightly, Narlafayn hastily secured the piece of woven material to her belt, displaying it for all to see.

"Be sure to come back here when you have a chance, your Clan Hall is over there." November said, pointing to a set of closed doors near the church. "You can meet other members of the clan in there." She smiled. "Now hurry back to Gludio and become a Knight!" November urged, pushing her gently towards the Gatekeeper.

Narlafayn took one last look over her shoulder at the smiling couple before jogging towards Leon. "What was that all about?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow. Narlafayn grinned and proudly displayed her new clan crest.

"I'm in a clan!" she gushed. Leon didn't respond for a moment, staring at the crest with an unreadable expression, before giving her a tight-lipped smile.

"Good for you." He said in a forced tone. Narlafayn tilted her head at him and frowned.

"What's with you?" she asked, poking him. "Oh, would you like to be in the clan too? I can ask November if you can jo—" Leon halted her by grabbing onto her arm, and the pointed to the blue crest that peeked out from his under breastplate. Narlafayn's mouth dropped into an 'o' shape as she stared at it.

"How long have you been in a clan?" she asked him later, as they walked towards the Warrior Guild back in Gludio.

"Not long after I left the Elven Village. I met the leader here; we talked for a bit and he invited me in." Leon said sullenly, looking at the ground. Narlafayn frowned once again and puzzled over his reaction. She had thought he would've been more excited for her than this.

Vuylay attended Narlafayn's small knighting ceremony, looking as if she had not slept well in the time Narlafayn had been gone. As a gift of congratulations, Leon presented her with another set of armor, his old bronze set, magically altered to fit Narlafayn. Vuylay pitched in to buy her a bronze shield, and Leon lent her his old knight sword.

"I hate you, by the way." Narlafayn stated to Sorius after her ceremony. Ignoring the baffled look he gave her, she marched out of the guild with her nose stuck in the air to change into her new clothes.

"So where are you going first?" Leon asked her a few days later as they sat on the banks of the river that flowed around the village, facing the castle. Narlafayn thought for a moment, seriously pondering her next course of action.

"I suppose I could move to Gludin, I've heard people take up residency in the Clan Halls,…" she thought, breaking off a foxtail plant and twirling it between her fingers. She thought back to her trip to Elmore, and remembered Damascus' words to her before he left. "Maybe I'll go to Dion." She decided, standing up. "It's not far from here, I can travel there on foot."

"If you do, be careful. Dion's a little more dangerous than here or Gludin. It's closer to the Cruma Marshlands, and bandits roam that place." He cautioned, watching her seriously. Narlafayn grinned at him and ruffled his hair playfully.

"You're far too serious for…what are you now? Seventeen? I never thought I'd be encouraging someone young to act their age." She stated playfully. He lifted a hand to smooth his hair back down, returning to his mask of cool to ignore her. "You know what you need?" Narlafayn began, after thinking for a moment.

"What do I need?" Leon asked skeptically, giving her a wary look.

"You need yourself a woman." She decided firmly. Leon's hair suddenly hid his eyes from view as his face turned the brightest shade of red she'd ever seen. She shut her eyes and nodded, certain of herself. "Yep! I think that'll be the best thing for you, finding some girl for you to kiss and cuddle. That'll melt off that cool exterior you try to keep quicker than any amount of prodding from me!" She turned back towards the town and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Any single girls in there wanting to marry an attractive human Knight? He's still young, so be gentle!" she shouted. The guards at the town entrance looked at each other and chuckled, causing Leon's face to turn a darker shade of red.

"Ooh, me!" a girl's voice suddenly came.

"Older women do it better!" another shouted.

"Why me?" Leon groaned to the sky, his expression mournful.

Narlafayn traveled across Gludio territory towards Dion alone, Vuylay insisting once again on staying in Gludio. This time her reason was to stay and attempt to break down Leon's stubborn resistance to her flirting, determined to get a reaction. The journey was slow; Narlafayn camped out in hay bales of farmhouses dotting the hilly plains or against trees during the night, and traveled along the path during the day. It was lonely, her only companions the various wildlife that would dart out from holes in the ground or from behind trees, or the sounds of nature.

As she rounded a bend, the first sounds of Dion met her ears. She could hear shouts of merchants declaring wares they wished to sell, and the clanging of armor or brays of farm animals. She began passing people as she drew closer, farmers pulling wagons full of supplies, or adventurers wandering from the village to bravely journey to the Marshlands to the north. Faintly, she could hear the howls of the monsters left behind by the Giants, the sound sending a chill through her body.

Dion's streets were well-trodden dirt, packed down by hundreds of feet, hooves and cartwheels. The city was still relatively small and uncultured compared to Gludio, but merchants gathered here in thick groups, setting up wares in the center of town. Narlafayn had apologized for stepping on feet or bumping into bodies several times, finding it extremely hazardous to navigate the town. She dashed over to a tree on the edge of the town's center and stood behind it, trying to catch her breath.

"Quite a crowd, huh?"

Narlafayn looked over her shoulder quickly to find a Dark Elf wearing a red armor set she recognized as Manticore Skin, leaning against the building the tree grew next to. He had a matching red bandanna tied across his forehead, long black-purple hair falling over the top of it and drifting over the side of his face in a style that reminded her of the elf from the masquerade. Her heart began to pound as he pushed himself off the building smoothly, and strolled over to her. The back of his hair was cropped shorter than the hair in front, and was streaked with a light lavender color. He wore a quiver on his back and a bow slung over one arm. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Narlafayn wondered why she kept attracting so many Dark Elves.

"You're new here, aren't you?" the man asked, facing her. He leaned down as she nodded, stroking her cheek with a hand. Narlafayn backed up until her back hit the tree, unable to break her gaze from his eyes. He put a hand on the rough bark above her head, supporting himself as he leaned over her. Crooking a finger against her chin, he tilted her face up to look at him as she attempted to glance away in embarrassment, and lowered his mouth to hers.

"Hey Deathswalker, there you are!" The familiar voice of Damascus suddenly shouted, running between the houses just before the Dark Elf kissed her. "Oho, busy at work I see." He said with a grin as Deathswalker stood. His jaw dropped open as the pink-cheeked Narlafayn stared back at him in bewilderment as Deathswalker moved aside. "Narla!" Damascus roared happily, grabbing the tinier person and crushing her in a bear hug. "It's been almost a year, how the hell are ya?" He patted her back roughly, the air driven from her lungs in a wheeze.

"Just fine, thanks." She rasped, wincing as his show of affection pressed her arms uncomfortably into her sides. He released her abruptly, and she bent over slightly with one hand to her chest, gasping for air.

"I see you've met Deathswalker already." He grinned, nodding to the Dark Elf that stood against the tree now, his arms folded over his chest. He had his eyes shut, as if sleeping. Narlafayn glanced at the man and back to Damascus.

"He's whom you wanted me to meet?" she asked in a low voice, leaning towards the Orc. Deathswalker opened up one eye partially and glanced at her as Damascus laughed.

"The one and only!" he said, putting an arm across Narlafayn's shoulders and leading her back into the crowd. "Come, let's go have a drink at the inn, we'll catch up there." He said loudly to be heard over the hum of conversation. Narlafayn looked once over her shoulder at Deathswalker, who opened both eyes to stare at her through his hair. She turned back around quickly, her heart pounding and face tinted pink. _Is he the one from that night? _She wondered, as Damascus led them out of the noisy crowd and into the equally noisy inn.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_In which Narlafayn has quite the adventure in Dion, and another whirlwind romance evolves._

"So what have you been up to all of this time?" Damascus asked, plopping a huge mug of mead in front of her. Narlafayn stared at it uneasily, never having tried anything alcoholic other than the wine on Grand Saint's night. She lifted it daintily to her mouth and pretended to drink, to appease her large friend. He slurped his greedily, as if he were dying of thirst.

"Not much, went to Talking Island for a day then back to the Elven Village." She said, wiping foam from her upper lip. "I was there until a couple of months ago and then moved to Gludio to become a Knight." She continued. A grin spread on Damascus' face at this news.

"Wonderful! You made it I presume?" he asked, taking another drink. Narlafayn nodded vigorously in response.

"I just did actually. Glarawen, my Elder, let me join her clan too. See?" she tilted to the side and held up the clan crest to show him. Damascus opened one eye to look at it, then set his mug down quickly and spit out his gulp of mead. It showered the table behind Narlafayn, dripping off of the bald cranium of an aged Dwarf sitting there. The Dwarf raised his head curiously to look at the ceiling, as if he thought the mead had fallen from there.

"You joined TGS?" he asked in disbelief. "The TGS affiliated with LF?" Narlafayn answered him with a blank stare, not understanding what the initials "LF" stood for.

"Is there something wrong with TGS?" Narlafayn asked curiously, stung by yet another adverse reaction.

"Oh nothing, just can't say that I've heard very good things about the leader and his vice in command." Damascus said in a nonchalant tone, looking away from her as he took a sip of mead. "I'm going to get more to drink, I'll be right back." He stood quickly, putting his hands on the table and pushing the chair away from the table loudly. Narlafayn watched him depart with a frown, unsure of how to take his words.

"Psst, jo-chan." A voice rasped from behind her. Narlafayn looked over her shoulder to find the Dwarf that Damascus had showered with mead turned in his chair and staring at her intently. "Why are you with that big jackass? He's part of the Conviction alliance, they're sworn enemies of La Familia and TGS. I'd watch myself if you're going to associate with them" he whispered loudly, glancing at Damascus who still stood at the bar.

"How would you know?" Narlafayn challenged, frowning. The Dwarf raised his eyebrows at her and pulled a clan crest from his breastplate and showed it to her. It was black, like hers, with the same pirate pistol, but the letters embroidered on it were "LF" instead of "TGS". Narlafayn's jaw dropped open slightly as he grinned at her.

"They call me Mad Midget." The Dwarf introduced. "November told me about the new recruit, but I never expected to meet you here." He jerked a thumb towards the thin Orc Shaman that sat at the table with him, his head tilted backwards and his mouth open as he snored loudly. "That's my kid, Legooshka. He's rather pathetic as far as Orcs go, don't ya think?" he chuckled in a cigar-raspy laugh. "He's just a big smelly toad, lemme tell ya…" Mad Midget suddenly whipped back around without a word as Damascus brought another mug of mead to the table and sat down heavily.

"Welcome back." She greeted, smiling. Damascus raised his eyebrow at the Dwarf behind her for a moment before returning her smile. "So what have you been up to?" she asked, trying to divert any questions before they were asked. Damascus burst into a large grin again, holding his mug of mead to his mouth.

"Oh you know…rampaging the countryside…getting rid of a few pesky demons. Spending time with my hot Dark Elf girlfriend…" His grin turned wicked, and Narlafayn giggled. He set his mug down and launched into a story of his life since he saw her last, a story that lasted long into the evening.

Damascus rented her a room in the inn for the night, telling her to lock her doors securely as pickpockets frequently roamed between the rooms, taking what they could from open doors. Unable to sleep, Narlafayn sat up by the window in only the blue and white-striped dress that she wore underneath her armor, gazing out at the square. It was still busy, despite the time of day, just not as noisy. The tavern below her, however, was another story.

Narlafayn sat a bit straighter as she saw Damascus exit the inn, and doused the light in the oil lamp next to her so she wouldn't be seen. She silently raised the window to lean out, the night wind blowing her hair. She took a breath to yell at him, in hopes of startling him in jest, but let it out in a whoosh as Deathswalker emerged from the shadows around the tree. Damascus paused and spoke in a low voice to him, jerking his thumb towards the inn in accentuation of his words. Narlafayn leaned out a bit farther as she tried to pick up any strain of conversation, but to no avail. Deathswalker nodded to whatever it was Damascus had said to him, and the burly Orc walked away from him, disappearing behind some houses.

Deathswalker took a few steps towards the inn, coming into the moonlight and looking up at Narlafayn. Her cheeks turned pink as he cast her a suave grin, making his way closer to her window. "Want to unlock the door for me?" he offered, his grin broadening. "You should sleep with me." He stated, causing her heart to pound. As she tried to determine if he were serious or not, a shorthaired man wearing silver armor came strutting up to him and said something in a very effeminate voice. Narlafayn's eyes dotted at the human's behavior; it was similar to Vuylay's flirtatious manner, and it disturbed her. Deathswalker chuckled at the man and cast Narlafayn one last glance as he turned away, disappearing around the side of the inn after placing an arm over the man's shoulders.

Suddenly feeling ill to her stomach, Narlafayn quickly retracted her head and shut the window, plopping on the bed and pulling the covers high over her face. "That's not what it looked like." She told herself. "He was just going to show him something. Yeah." She nodded to herself and lowered the covers, satisfied.

"Narlafayn!" Mad Midget called as Narlafayn exited the inn the next morning. She paused mid-yawn as he came waddling towards her. "Come on over here, come meet some more of the clan." He said good-naturedly, taking her by the wrist. Bewildered, she allowed herself to be led to a group of humans and dwarves, to whom she was introduced. She smiled at them as they all talked to her at once, some holding their hands out in gestures of introduction, others attempting to show her their new armor or weaponry.

"Narla!" Glarawen's voice suddenly called above the noise of the group around her. Glarawen tackled Narlafayn as a human prophet was telling her about spell books. "I see you've gotten braver and come to Dion!" she smiled. November approached them and began chatting with Mad Midget after nodding her greeting to Narlafayn.

"YOU!" another voice suddenly shouted, and Narlafayn found Leon on her other side, giving her a psychotic look and mock strangling her.

"Leon? What are you doing here?" Narlafayn asked in confusion, Glarawen still chattering to her on the other side about their trip from Gludin to Dion.

"I couldn't take it any more!" Leon exclaimed, his expression very un-Leon like. "I woke up a week after you'd left to find myself in an empty bedroom devoid of all furniture save the bed which I found myself tied to. Vuylay stood over me holding a feather and wearing that strappy thing all the Dark Elf novices wear." He grasped her by the shoulders and shook her firmly. "IT WAS TRAUMATIC I TELL YOU." He shouted. "Come back to Gludio and put some sort of leash on that woman!" he released her and then put his hands on the sides of his face in horror as if still witnessing the scenario in his head.

"Plump babies." Mad was saying to her, holding up a jar with a thick blue liquid in it. "You'll never know when you'll run into plump babies…"

"Ne, come to the Enchanted Valley with us!" Glarawen urged, tugging on Narlafayn's shoulder guard.

"Finally made Knight, huh? You're getting there!" November said, putting an arm around Glarawen.

"Don't you agree?" the prophet asked, holding out a piece of paper.

"The boobies…" Leon whimpered in fear, staring into space.

"Come to Cruma Marshlands with us, it'll be good training!" a rogue whom Narlafayn hadn't even been introduced to commanded, motioning to her. Narlafayn's head began to swirl with all of the threads of conversation, trying to keep track of them all. She'd never been so popular before, and she wasn't sure how to handle it.

A hand suddenly grasped hers and tugged her away from the crowd in one smooth movement, drawing her between the houses and into the shadows. She was pulled quickly and silently through the busy town, just as she heard Glarawen call her name in confusion. Her heart began to pitter-patter as the back of Deathswalker's head met her vision, the Dark Elf taking her out of town.

As soon as they were clear of the gates, he released her hand and she gripped her hair at her scalp and let out the largest overwhelmed scream she could muster. "Feel better?" Deathswalker chuckled, leaning against a tree. Narlafayn stared into space for a moment, her face distorted from her shout and panted for a moment before nodding slightly. "Good, let's go." He said, taking her by the hand again.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"Someplace good." He responded mysteriously, grinning at her over his shoulder.

Night had long since fallen by the time Deathswalker slowed their pace of travel, and Narlafayn found herself standing on the outskirts of the Cruma Marshlands. The entire swamp was covered in a mist that was tinted green from light that pulsated from somewhere. It lit up the entire swamp in an eerie glow, making the place seem sinister.

"Are you tired?" Deathswalker asked, stroking her cheek with his finger. Adrenaline surging through her at this motion she shook her head rapidly, her eyes large. "Good, we've got a lot of hunting do to." He grinned, leading the way into the swamp.

"Why are you doing this for me?" Narlafayn asked after they had been hunting large leeches and giant red ants for a time. Deathswalker had been silent the entire time, his voice only heard as he exerted himself in battle. He spun his dagger around his finger as he scanned the marsh, and Narlafayn had wondered if he had heard her. He turned and began racing through the swamp without answering her, Narlafayn struggling to keep up with his speed.

"Because Damascus told me to keep an eye on you." He said, sheathing his dagger and pulling out his bow. "He said you have a lot of potential, but you seem to be slow on training."

"Oh." Narlafayn said, her heart falling. She looked down at the spongy ground and kicked it with her toe as he aimed an arrow at a leech and pulled it back, crouching to put more power in his shot.

"And I think you're cute." He finished, letting the arrow fly. The leech squealed as the arrow hit it in one of it's many eyes, rolling for a moment in it's own mucus before scooting towards them as fast as it's bulbous body would take it. Narlafayn stared at him dumbly, her cheeks a vivid shade of red, before remembering to draw her sword and help slay the giant worm.

Narlafayn sat down near a tall pillar some time later to rest, and dozed off despite her attempts at staying awake. In her dreams she saw a group of clan mates wandering through the very swamp she was in, chatting amongst each other happily as they hunted the creatures living there for sport. A dark shadow darted between the vine-covered trees dotting the marsh, and Narlafayn felt a pang of fear hit her heart for the group. Things became blurred and fast moving like a sickness dream as she suddenly saw things from the eyes of the shadow as they slew the group, leaving their bodies to lay in the swamp muck.

She woke with a start as a howl pierced the air from the tower, one of the monsters inside crying out for its master. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stood, the swamp now lit by a dirty pink-yellow light.

"Deathswalker?" she called, pushing herself to her feet groggily. A marsh Stakato, an insect creature that walked on two legs like a man, was the only thing that moved. It swished its long armored tail as it foraged for food, ignoring Narlafayn's presence. She wandered aimlessly into the marsh, squinting through the fog as she watched for Deathswalker's shadowy figure.

The marsh water was thick and cold as she tromped through it, reaching as far up as her waist. It shocked her back into consciousness fully, and she grimaced at the feel of the slimy water on her skin. Mosquitoes had begun to buzz around her head and she batted at them in annoyance. As she pulled herself onto an embankment of spongy ground, a strange object poking out of the murk ahead of her caught her attention. She tilted her head and took a few steps towards it, the thing reminding her of a hand clenched in horror.

A hand closed around her wrist for a second time and pulled her backwards. Deathswalker turned her back around to face him and brought her face to meet his. He kissed her firmly, all curiosities about the strange object driven from her mind, as the kiss grew intense. It was different from the kiss she had received at the masquerade, but still drove the strength from her knees. He had one hand placed at the small of her back, keeping her pressed firmly against his torso, leaning backwards slightly with the kiss as if possessing her.

He released her gently, pulling away and watching her through half shut lids as she attempted to catch her breath. "We should get moving." He said in a husky voice. "The Stakato will be waking soon, it's best if we keep going." With that he turned, leading her in the opposite direction, back towards Dion.

Behind them, a fly buzzed around the object that resembled a clenched hand, and the Stakato worker that Narlafayn had seen tilted its head curiously as it came across a group of bodies not far from where Narlafayn had last been standing. Sinking into the murk near them was a black clan crest, the letter "T" the only thing visible on its embroidered surface before it sunk beneath the surface of the slimy water.

Deathswalker led Narlafayn not back to the town, but over Dion Hills towards the castle. They were gone for several days, Deathswalker giving her a kind of informal tour as he went. She was taken to the Execution Grounds, a truly horrific place that was still in use. He didn't take her inside, but the smell permeating the air around the place was enough sate any curiosity she had. They stopped in the tiny farming village of Floran, south of Dion after a few weeks, restocking provisions and resting in the boarding house that was there. She shared a bed with him, but nothing physical happened save for a few heated kisses.

Every so often Deathswalker would disappear, leaving her to hunt wolves or giant monster eyes on her own. Sometimes he would return covered in blood, but assured her it was because he'd run into an Orc on the way back, and the blood was from it. She began to notice a trend that, if she hesitated in trusting him, he would take her aside and kiss her in a passionate manner. She knew she should be even more suspicious with this behavior, but she found that her brain was too muddled after he was through to question it.

Memory sparked with each touch he gave her, and the kind face of a human she knew had been someone important to her in the other world would appear in her inner eye. It soon became so overwhelming that she began to pull away from his embrace, leaving him frowning behind her as she walked away for some air. Noticing her distress he began to keep his distance, the action both relieving Narlafayn and hurting her at the same time. She became confused, not sure of what it was she wanted, and the desire to return to Dion became great.

One night, Deathswalker sat on a hill overlooking Dion Castle with her, his arm loosely placed over her shoulders as he stared at the grand building before them. "I have a dream to be Lord over that castle one day." He said suddenly, breaking the silence. Leaning against his chest, Narlafayn tilted her head to look up at him, surprised. He had never spoken of himself before now, and it surprised her to hear him do so.

"Why Dion?" she asked, watching his expression. He glanced down at her and gave her a half smile before returning his gaze to the castle.

"Why not Dion? The town is growing, I'm sure you saw. He who controls Dion controls one of the best trading centers in the world, outside of Giran." He sighed heavily and shut his eyes as the moon peeked back out from behind a cloud.

"Why not Giran then?" she prodded. He glanced at her again with a raised eyebrow.

Far too many people clamor for that one. It's much more ethical to start with Dion before moving to the larger places." He chuckled. Remembering a similar time from the other world where she sat in a mineshaft with the human in a similar manner, Narlafayn pulled away as the uncomfortable feeling swept over her again. She drew her knees up to her chest and folded her arms on, resting her head over them. "Are you ok? Your face is flushed." Deathswalker asked, looking at her.

"I'm fine!" she exclaimed with more force than intended. She couldn't understand why any memories of the other world now left her with this feeling of despair. What had happened there to make her hate it so? Sensing the look of annoyance on Deathswalker's face she sighed and scooted back to rest against a tree behind them. "It's just… I told you about that other world I'm from, right?" she began, recalling a conversation they had previously.

"Yep." Deathswalker responded in a flat tone. He had not believed her story then, and his tone indicated that he still didn't.

"Some things that happen recall stuff from there." She attempted to explain, ignoring his skepticism. "It shakes me up when it does." She grew silent again as things she couldn't voice to him marched through her memories. The touch of the human, the cool of the mine shaft that was silent as death save for the two of them. She cared greatly for that man, even though she'd only known him for a short time. Could that be the key of why she was reminded of him so, now?

"Narla~, don't go into your own world and leave me lonely~" Deathswalker suddenly whined, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and startling her out of her memories. A shiver coursed through her from toe to head, and she drew herself away from him quickly.

"NO!" she shouted, burying her head in her arms and hiding them on her knees once more. Deathswalker knelt behind her with a frown, offended by her sudden change in reaction towards him. "I'm sorry, that just makes me remember things…" she said, her voice muffled.

"Uh huh. Things. Like what?" he stated more than asked in the flat tone of voice again.

"Like…stuff." She dodged, wishing for the conversation to end. Deathswalker was silent again as he pondered this. A light bulb suddenly went of in his head and he smacked his fist against his palm.

"Stuff like this?" he asked seductively, pressing himself against her back. Narlafayn raised her head quickly, her eyes large. Every muscle in her body tensed up, the Narlafayn inside of her head commented on how frightening it was at the speed he picked up on such a vague answer. Unable to will the courage up to draw herself away from him, Narlafayn instantly went into a submissive mode and allowed him to nuzzle her neck as he unfastened her breastplate. "Who was he? An elf?" Deathswalker asked as the metal piece fell to the grass.

"H-human." Narlafayn stuttered, the current placement of his hands distracting her from thinking properly. Deathswalker let out a light snort of amusement, one of his hands drifting to her belt.

"A human could satisfy an elf? That's a first." He said, unfastening the metal and letting it join the breastplate. "How about I show you what it's like with a dark elf?" he asked in a husky voice. A blush permanently plastered across Narlafayn's cheeks, she turned her face away from him, biting her finger.

"You shouldn't talk like that…" she said in a whispery voice. "People might see…" she protested weakly as he pushed her to the grass.

"Let them." He growled softly, lowering himself over her.

She entered Dion the next day, weary despite having slept. When she had awoken, Deathswalker was gone, leaving not even a note behind. Her heart had fallen at this fact, and she firmly refused to assume the worst. The city was bustling with activity as usual, nothing had altered or changed in the time she was gone. After stopping quickly to see if the Light Elf swords master had anything new she could learn, she wandered towards the inn, ready for a bath.

"There you are!" Leon's voice came as she entered. He paused as he saw the grime covering her from day's worth of travel and moved aside so she could plod up the stairs towards the public bathhouse. "What happened to you? You look awful." He observed.

"Been exploring…" she said lightly, not looking at him.

"Uh huh." Leon said flatly, not believing her. "One does not explore for weeks on end without returning to town for provisions." Narlafayn shrugged, pausing outside an open cabinet to retrieve a towel and some soap.

"I stopped in Floran." She mumbled. Before Leon could question her any more she entered the girls' public bath and shut the sliding door in Leon's face. A burly woman with two pigtails in her hair sat on the other side of the door, guarding it from any men who wished to be mischievous. She grunted like an Orc as Narlafayn passed by, watching her with beady eyes.

After bathing and washing her armor, Narlafayn emerged wearing the blue under dress and plodded downstairs to the tavern to buy some food. Leon had disappeared, and she ordered her meal and ate it in silence. She left the inn stretching, dodging a bishop who hurriedly ushered an injured sorcerer inside of the inn.

Ahead of her, in the center of town, stood Glarawen, November, Tex, Mad Midget and Legooshka, talking to one another in low voices. A Sorcerer with stringy brown hair that touched his shoulders stood among them, frowning at something November was saying to him. Glarawen, as always, stood next to her, looking as if she might cry.

"What's going on?" Narlafayn asked as she approached. The group turned to look at her, and she earned a glare from Legooshka.

"Oh Narla, it's terrible!" Glarawen cried, wiping at her eyes. "For the past couple of weeks members of our alliance have been attacked and killed horribly!" she sniffled. Narlafayn's heart began to pound and her eyes widened.

"Nobody knows who's done it either, but we suspect it was a hired mercenary from Conviction." The Sorcerer stated, watching her intensely.

"I'll bet she was leading the mercenary to them, I saw her talking with that Destroyer from Conviction right when the killings started." Legooshka grumbled. Mad Midget fisted his Orcish son in the gut, causing the tall youth to double over.

"Don't be rattling your yap about crap you don't know anything about." Mad commanded, glaring at him.

"You don't know anything about this, do you Narlafayn?" November asked, watching her expression intensely. Trying to push the voice of logic away in her head that questioned Deathswalker's mysterious disappearances, Narlafayn forced her face to stay calm and sincere, and shook her head. "Good. She's clear, Ina." She said, turning towards the Sorcerer. He nodded once then turned November away from the others, speaking to her in a low voice.

"Where have you been, Narla? Where did you disappear to that day?" Glarawen asked, linking arms with her.

"I went exploring and got a little lost, I guess." She grinned sheepishly.

"That happens to me sometimes." Tex spoke up in a drowsy voice. "Sometimes I even forget where I've put my head. Gets a little tedious after awhile to keep track of it, so I let it wander." He stared into space, his eyes glassy. Not understanding what he said, Narlafayn stared at him blankly.

"I'll bet you say that to all the girls." She said in the coy tone of voice she remembered Vuylay using to flirt. Tex blinked rapidly and stared at her in surprise.

"Touché." He grinned.

"Narlafayn, why don't you come with us for a little while? We're headed to the Enchanted Valley for some hunting there. It'll be a nice change of pace." November offered, returning to Glarawen's side. Behind her, Leon wandered out from the warehouse, adjusting his travel pack. He froze as he saw Narlafayn, and then shuffled a bit, as if unsure of himself.

"Oh yes Narla, it'll be fun! There are fairies and unicorns all over the place!" Glarawen stated happily, all sadness of the previous topic washed away. Not enjoying the suspicious glances she was still receiving from the clan leader, Narlafayn quickly nodded her head in consent. "Tex should come too, so Narla can get to know him better!" Glarawen exclaimed, as they all turned to look at the sleepy-eyed Gladiator. He blinked at them cluelessly, his mouth dropping open slightly as he tried to make sense of their words.

"Enchanted Valley, Tex. Would you like to come with us?" November repeated.

"Oh. Naw, I think I'll stay here. I'm seeing some really weird stuff right now, man." Tex drawled, running a hand through his hair.

"Aw, but you could visit with Narly…" Glarawen pouted.

"I think I'm going to go lay down." Tex said, turning towards the inn. He paused and looked over his shoulder, catching Narlafayn's attention and grinning at her. "That dress looks nice on you. Shows off your curves." He said. She looked away from him, uneasy as how to respond since her night with Deathswalker. He didn't seem to notice and continued on his way towards the inn, stumbling slightly every few steps.

"What's wrong with him, is he sick?" she asked, watching him leave.

"No, Tex is… how shall we say… fond of plants." November said slowly, pursing her lips. "He'll be fine in a few hours, don't worry." She smiled. Leon still milled about behind them, still uneasy.

"If Tex isn't coming, can my friend Leon come instead?" Narlafayn asked with a grin. Leon's head shot up at the sound of his name, and he stared at Narlafayn with wide eyes.

"Sure, if he'd like to come." November consented, smiling. Narlafayn motioned for Leon to join them, told them of their destination, and then returned to the inn to gather the rest of her armor and her travel pack. They restocked quickly, then made their way to the Gatekeeper to request a spell to Hunter's Village.

Hunter's Village was a strange place, half built on the side of a cliff. Suspension bridges connected one half of the village to the other, a deep gaping chasm below. Narlafayn had but a moment to take in the scenery of the place before November was urging them onward.

The journey to the valley took a full day of travel, and they set up camp right outside of the valley for the night. "Will we be safe here?" Narlafayn asked, rubbing her arms and staring worriedly into the darkness around them. There was a faint tinkling noise emanating from somewhere down the path, and a breeze that invigorated Narlafayn's senses blew from the valley.

"Yeah, not many people come through here this time of day." November said, nibbling on a flat provision cake. Glarawen sat next to her, drinking out of a canteen. "The creatures in the valley sleep at night, like people do. There's no use in hunting them now." Leon sat on a ledge above them, staring moodily into the darkness. Narlafayn frowned at him and put her hands on her hips.

"Hey Nov, do you know of any single girls that would be interested in a moody teenager?" Narlafayn asked, turning her attention back to the Swordsinger.

"I might, the moody personality seems to be a hot attraction factor these days." November said, looking up at her. "Why, do you know a single moody teenager?" she asked curiously. Beside her, Glarawen giggled at her obliviousness. On his ledge, Leon tensed up, his hair hiding his eyes from view again.  
The night went by quickly; sleep surprisingly easy to come by on the soft grass outside of the valley. November woke them up early, rousing them from sleep with the spells she cast with her songs. After a quick breakfast, they started their journey into the valley.

Narlafayn found herself walking inside a ravine, rainbow colored stones beneath her feet. There were small, shallow lagoons scattered about the ravine, waterfalls emptying into them. Surprisingly, the water did not overflow past a certain point, the magic of the valley somehow keeping the water in one place. They raced by wind and water spirits that floated calmly in the ravine with them, November leading with a destination in mind. She led them up a slope to the top of the ravine, where brightly colored trees grew. The leaves reminded Narlafayn of candy, and her stomach growled, unhappy with the amount of provisions she'd put in it. Glarawen chuckled, hearing the noise.

"There's our first target." November said in a low voice, pointing to a Treant ahead of them. Narlafayn's eyes bugged out in shock, surprised that November would proclaim that the first to die.

"Aren't we elves supposed to like Treants?" Narlafayn asked in shock. Glarawen turned a tearful expression towards her, obviously feeling guilty about their impending task.

"It's ok darling." November crooned, petting Glarawen's hair. "Remember, they'd sooner kill us first, it's better this way." This seemed to reassure the kind-hearted elder and she nodded, sniffling. "Let's go." November commanded in a low tone, drawing her swords and holding them out. Leon was right with the pair as they ran towards the Treant, attacking with as much fervor as they. Narlafayn jumped in behind them, attempting to assist with slaying of the giant tree. Her sword pinged off of the tree-creature's trunk with little more than a knick, her sword and skill not sharp enough to do it much harm.

"Just stay back and observe, you'll still learn." Glarawen said, casting a spell that would bind the Treant's legs and hold him to the spot. Narlafayn frowned, but complied anyway, her mind memorizing the different methods they used to slay the creatures in the valley, assisting on some, but observing on most. At noontime Narlafayn and Glarawen sat under one of the rainbow-leaved trees, watching as November tutored Leon on the most efficient way to slay a satyr. Glarawen sighed at November with stars in her eyes, watching them with interest.

"You like November that much, huh?" Narlafayn asked, looking at her. Glarawen jumped, startled from her moment of ogling, and nodded enthusiastically. Narlafayn sighed wistfully and propped her elbows on her knees as she sat Indian-style. "I wish I could find someone like that…" she trailed off, thinking of Deathswalker and wishing he would magically appear in the valley.

"I'm sure you will eventually, Narla-barla." Glarawen grinned. "How about that Leon? He's single, isn't he?" she asked, squinting her eyes shut with her smile. Narlafayn broke into hysterical laughter at her suggestion, earning a look of surprise from the Elder.

"Leon's a good kid, but he's my friend, nothing more." Narlafayn responded between giggles. She turned to watch him copy a sword move that November had shown him. "November seems to be a good teacher." She complimented.

"Yeah, he's very patient." Glarawen said, smiling again. Narlafayn looked at her quickly and stuck a finger in her ear to clear it. She thought for certain that Glarawen had said 'he' instead of 'she', but knew that couldn't be right. The Elder may have been older than her, but she didn't think elves went senile until they were nearing several hundred years of age. She dismissed it as a simple slip of the tongue.

Silence enveloped the two for the moment, and Narlafayn bit her lip as a new concern popped up in her head. "Um, Glarawen?" she began, drawing her attention away from November. "Anymore I've been finding that I can't remember things about the other world…and when I do, I get this weird feeling like something awful happened there and if I remember what it was, I'll break inside." Narlafayn cringed inwardly, realizing how scatterbrained she must've sounded. Glarawen smiled gently at her and took her hand, patting it in consolation.

"Don't worry, Narla, its normal." She comforted, her smile not wavering. "You live here now, right? You don't need to remember things that happened in that other place. Other than pleasant and sometimes not-so-pleasant reminders of things that have happened, what good can they do you now?" Her words were wise, and she took on the mysterious air that she had when Narlafayn first met her. "Besides, you must be having a lot more fun here, right?" she asked, the mysterious air fading as fast as it appeared and being replaced by her unshakeable cheerfulness. Narlafayn smiled awkwardly and nodded, just as November and Leon returned from their training session.

"Did you ask her yet?" November asked, sitting down next to Glarawen and adjusting her shoulder guards. Leon plopped to a sit near Narlafayn and took a swig of water from the canteen. He panted slightly from exertion, the workout November had given him intense.

"Oh!" Glarawen exclaimed, holding a hand up to her mouth. Her grin brightened again, blinding Narlafayn with its intensity. She took November's hand and held it tightly as she took an excited breath. "November and I are getting married!" she exclaimed. Narlafayn dropped the canteen that Leon had returned to her hand, water spilling into the grass. "I want you to be my maid of honor!" she continued. Narlafayn let out a loud squeal and tackled the elder in a hug, so happy for her friend that she had momentarily channeled Glarawen's hyper cheerfulness.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

_In which Narlafayn discovers something shocking about Vuylay and makes the __acquaintance of yet another Pixie_

"You are not welcome here."

The hooded man raised his head slightly to look at the beautiful yet angry visage in front of him. Shilen stood at her dais, her dainty hands clenched into fists of rage. Her straight, waterfall-like black tresses waved like seaweed in the aura of her anger, giving her more of the appearance of the snake woman statue in the Dark Elves' temple dedicated to her.

"Did you not hear me? Begone!" she snapped, moving her hand in a harsh arc. A wave of black water emerged from the air and pummeled the hooded man in an attempt to drive him from her domain. He raised the gnarled staff he held in one hand, dispersing the water into tiny droplets as it hit him. She fell backwards onto her dais from the shockwave that backfired as her power was returned to her.

"I know that Sayha has been visiting you here, what has he reported to you recently?" the man asked, his deep voice reverberating off of the walls of her prison. Shilen turned her face away from him, and glared at the silken pillow on her dais, her mouth clenched shut.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" she asked bitterly. "I am not yours now, I no longer have to answer to you." She raised her head defiantly, her courage returning with her words. "It is your fault that I am trapped here now, and yet you think you can do what you please and request what you wish of me? Don't be fatuous." She pushed herself gracefully to her feet and tossed her hair over her shoulders in an indignant show.

"You forget, Mother of the Abyss, that you possess something of mine, and since I allow you to keep it, you are bound to answer to me." The man responded, moving to the center of the round room.

"I do not know that of which you speak. Search my belongings, my realm, you will not find anything here that belongs to you, not even those children which are half yours." Shilen responded coolly, a matching smile forming on her lips. The hooded man lowered his head for a moment, the ever-present shadows that lingered about him reaching out and searching the corners of her domain. Returning empty, his head snapped up quickly and he pounced upon Shilen, pressing her into the dais with his hands at her neck.

"Insolent whelp! What have you done with it?" he snarled, the hood falling away from his face. His features began to look demonic, his true nature showing through with his anger. "I did not allow you to keep it all this time to loose it!" he growled. Smiling defiantly still despite the death grip at her neck, Shilen met his gaze without fear.

"Why Gran Kain, I didn't think you cared so much for such an insignificant piece of history. You did leave it out carelessly for anyone to take." She purred. He tightened his grip around her slender throat, the action causing her to let out a light choked noise. Growling softly, he released her neck roughly and stood, pulling his hood back over his head.

"You will return to me, that piece of hammer which you kept. You will return it or I will make it so your seals will never be removed." The god of chaos growled, turning away from her. Shadows swirled from the ground and enveloped him, taking him back to his own realm. Shilen slowly pushed herself up, one hand touching the red welts rising on her neck, as a new presence entered her domain.

"He frightens me mother, was it wise to anger him so?" a boys voice whimpered from the darkness. Shilen pushed herself straight and held her arms out to the figure hiding in the darkness. A boy with hair and skin the color of flames dashed out and dove into her arms.

"Shh, it's alright my darling, just stay hidden in your volcano, and he will never harm you there." She cooed, petting his hair. She paused in petting him, and looked out expressionlessly into the shadows. "Valakas… You did eat all of those Dwarves of the guild called Mammon, did you not?" she asked coldly. The boy's eyes, which had been shut in bliss in the embrace of his mother's, opened wide. He pushed himself up to look into her face tearfully.

"They tasted bad, mother! Grandmother had put enchantments on them so that they could never die! They lived in my belly for months, trying to forge items from the things I swallowed!" the boy who was also the fearsome dragon Valakas whimpered. Her face slowly taking on the expression of cold rage, Shilen put her fingernails against the boy's cheek and dug them in, pricking his skin and drawing blood.

"You disgrace me to have come from my womb." Shilen growled, her pupils slitting as she glared at her son. "Away from my sight, I tire of your cowardice!" she pushed him away roughly, sending him flying through the room. Before he landed he transformed into the giant dragon the world knew, and let out a crying roar before disappearing into flames. Shilen reclined back on her dais, licking her son's blood off of her fingernails, glaring thoughtfully into the darkness. Something had her family on edge, first Sayha and now her cursed father. She grinned darkly as an idea crossed her mind. She could use their anxiety to her benefit; it just was a matter of setting up the proper setting. A dark cackle emanated from her throat and echoed off of the obsidian walls of her prison; what a _grand _game this was becoming!

Narlafayn sighed heavily into the fall air, her chin in her hands. All around her Gludin was still as busy as always, time unchanging for the place. She had finally taken up residency in the Clan Hall after retrieving Vuylay from Gludio, but found life there to be rather dull. Most of the Clan were seasoned fighters, and lived in Oren and Aden, only coming to the Hall when there was a strategic meeting about a siege they would be assisting with. A few still-new adventurers lived there for a bit, and would take her on excursions to the Abandoned Camp, but otherwise it was just she and Vuylay living in boredom.

Leon would come and go now, his own clan needing him elsewhere. Narlafayn was still too untrained to be of any use to her clan, and thus spent her time hunting monsters outside of Gludin rather than working with them. She had witnessed several sieges they took part in, even one that Damascus' clan had waged upon Innadril Castle on the southeast side of the continent via the broadcast crystal in town.

She had still not heard from Deathswalker since he left her in Dion, but the skepticism of her being a spy for Conviction still ran strong with the clan members who did not know her well. It seemed that Legooshka did not trust her, and made sure that others did not as well. Narlafayn began to question the benefits of being in a clan by this point, as she sat with Vuylay on the steps leading to the church.

"I'm bored." Vuylay announced, stretching her arms in front of her.

"Why don't you go finish your tasks to become an Oracle?" Narlafayn asked, not looking at her. Vuylay shrugged and bit her fingernails, leaning back to kick her feet slightly.

"I have to go back to the Dark Forest to complete it. That'll take too long." She said in a nonchalant tone. Narlafayn sighed in annoyance and shut her eyes.

"You're just boycotting your tasks because Leon won't go with you." She grumbled. Vuylay stuck her tongue out at her in a bitter expression, and then yawned. Silence descended the two again, as Vuylay turned slightly to watch the people entering town via the Gatekeeper's spells. She tensed up and sucked in a breath of air as two figures popped into existence, the air around her changing enough to catch Narlafayn's attention.

"What's wrong?" she asked, peering around her companion. She followed Vuylay's gaze to find her staring at a pink-haired light elf hanging off the shoulder of a brown-haired human. Recognition pinging to life inside her head, Narlafayn stood quickly and began waving.

"Hey, Ryonai!" she shouted, putting a hand next to her mouth so her voice would carry. The brown-haired youth, now in red and blue Brigandine armor, turned to look at her in surprise. Vuylay gaped at her in shock; as if calling the pair over was the worst idea she'd ever heard.

"Don't call them!" she hissed, grabbing on the heavy metallic half-skirt that hung over Narlafayn's rear.

"Stop being so anti-social, Ryonai's one of the kids I met while on Talking Island." she retorted, pulling the skirt from Vuylay's grasp.

"It's not Ryonai I have a problem with." She grumbled, folding her arms over her chest.

"Hey, it's the snail-elf!" Ryonai greeted with a grin. The pink-haired elf at his side peeked over his shoulder to stare down at Vuylay with large eyes. Narlafayn tensed and a vein of annoyance popped out on her temple.

"What was that?" she asked through clenched teeth. Ryonai grinned mischievously at her and put an arm around the elf at his side.

"I just saw Leon not long ago, he told me about all the progress you've made. You're really slow, so I'm deciding from now on that you're 'snail-elf.'" He said in a deciding tone. Narlafayn glared to the side, reminding herself to give Leon a hard time later. "Oh yeah, I just started a clan, you should join it!" he declared, pulling a crest from his bag and holding it out to her. Guilt suddenly gnawing at her insides, Narlafayn held up a hand and shook her head.

"I'm already in one, see?" she said sheepishly, displaying her crest. Ryonai's smile instantly left his face and he pursed his lips.

"Oh well." He shrugged, putting the crest back in his pack Noticing how he ignored Vuylay, Narlafayn put her hands on her hips and gave him the best authoritive look she could muster.

"Why don't you ask Vuy—"

"Vuylay-sama?" the pink-haired elf suddenly proclaimed, a childlike grin forming on her face. "I'm so happy to see you!" she exclaimed, flopping on the Dark Elf in a tight hug.

Ryonai and Narlafayn looked at the two in shock, and at the same time asked, "You know each other?"

"Unfortunately…" Vuylay grimaced as the Light Elf rubbed her cheek against hers.

"Oh my Vuylay-sama, you're still in Magic robes? I've long since been out of those!" the Elf proclaimed, pulling away slightly look at Vuylay's garb. "I'm in Mystics clothing now! You should catch up!" she pulled the side of her sea green and white striped skirt as if to show her.

"Excuse me for being slow." Vuylay grumbled, covering herself with her arms protectively. Sighing, she looked at the sky and held a hand out towards the Elf. "Narlafayn, this is Shizuka. For lack of a better term, she's my other half." Vuylay said. His face darkening, Ryonai grabbed Shizuka by the arm and pulled her away from Vuylay, holding her protectively.

"She's not your other half, she's my other half." He growled, glaring at her. Giving him an annoyed look, Vuylay pushed herself to her feet and brushed the back of her skirt off. Seeing her fully for the first time, Ryonai's face reddened slightly, and he shook his head firmly to clear it.

"It's not like that at all, but whatever makes you feel better about yourself." Vuylay said airily, adjusting her gloves. Puzzled by what her words meant, Narlafayn stood in silence.

"I know, how about we all go get dinner in the inn?" Shizuka suddenly exclaimed, throwing a fist into the air joyfully. "Ryonai can treat us!" she grinned.

"Shizuka, not _everyone_!" Ryonai hissed, staring at her in disbelief. Behind him, Vuylay looked away, her hair hidden by her bangs making her expression unreadable. Narlafayn frowned, recognizing Vuylay's way of hiding her emotions when she was hurt. Meanwhile, Shizuka turned a watery, puppy-eyed face towards Ryonai, and bit a hanky she had produced from somewhere. Ryonai stared at her with twitching eyes for a moment before sighing heavily, his shoulders drooping. "Fine, I'll treat everyone." He mumbled, defeated. Shizuka cheered again, then linked arms with Vuylay and Narlafayn.

"This will be so much fun!" she exclaimed, skipping towards the inn. Narlafayn stared at Shizuka in disbelief, trying not to believe that such an air-headed elf existed. She looked around Shizuka's bouncing figure to find Vuylay staring hard at the brick-paved ground, her jaw twitching as if she were resisting the urge to cry.

As the night went on, Narlafayn began to notice several things that struck her as strange. The first was, the more she saw Vuylay and Shizuka together, the more they seemed to look alike to her. Shizuka's hair, although pink, was cut in a similar fashion to Vuylay's. She had thick bangs hanging over her forehead, and two pieces of longer hair that extended down from those to frame her face. Her hair was done in a ponytail, but rather than placed high on her head, it fell down her back, only being bound at the ends. They both had bright green almond-shaped eyes and plump lips, although Vuylay's was slightly plumper. The part they deviated away from similarity was their body shape, as Vuylay was much more voluptuous than Shizuka.

The second thing that Narlafayn found strange was the looks of longing Vuylay would cast Ryonai when she thought no one was looking. She was oddly subdued around the youth, her normal air of flirtation missing. On any normal day, Vuylay would've laid the flirting on heavily, regardless of a girlfriend being present or not. Ryonai seemed to be mildly disgusted by the sight of Vuylay, which only seemed to cause Vuylay intense emotional pain, and before dinner was through she had excused herself to their room.

"Poor Vuylay-sama… I should go to her." Shizuka announced after Vuylay disappeared up the stairs.

"Maybe I should…" Narlafayn said, standing. Shizuka halted her by holding out a hand, and smiled brightly.

"It's alright; I shall comfort Vuylay-sama this time!" She twirled around the chair as she stood, and pranced up the stairs as if dancing. Narlafayn sat down slowly, trying to quell the feeling that leaving Shizuka and Vuylay alone would only make things worse.

"She's so great." Ryonai said with starry eyes, watching her ascend the stairs.

"What happened to Komugi?" Narlafayn asked with a raised eyebrow, taking a bite of bread. Ryonai turned back around and cleared his throat loudly.

"Well, it's been forever since I've seen her. Besides, I'm pretty sure she got a boyfriend within a few weeks of my leaving anyway. She wasn't one to wait on bated breath for a fellow. Now her sister, on the other hand, she'll obviously wait forever if she has to, for a guy." He rolled his eyes in memory, and took a drink. "They're so different, it's like those two aren't even related." He sighed once and leaned back in his chair, patting his full stomach. "Anyway, how about you? Did you find someone yourself?" he asked, stretching. Narlafayn's cheeks turned pink and she averted her eyes as he grinned, noticing it. "What's his name?" he prodded, leaning towards her.

"Deathswalker…" she mumbled, lifting her napkin to her mouth daintily. There was a clatter, and Narlafayn looked up quickly to find Ryonai staring at her in disbelief. The noise had come from his cup, which had fallen into his half-empty soup bowl. He let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair as if nervous.

"Oh man." He said, looking away from her. Narlafayn's heart began to pound and she put her hands on the table.

"What is it? Is he ok?" she asked, fearing the worst.

"I'll say." Ryonai mumbled into his cup as he retrieved it and attempted to take a drink. He frowned as he found his cider mixed with soup and wrinkled his nose.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Narlafayn asked, frowning. Ryonai shrugged, still not looking at her.

"I'd find someone new." He suggested lightly, watching as two Dwarves sat on a table and sang drunkenly. Narlafayn stood quickly, the chair scraping across the floor loudly, and glared down at the teen. "I'm just sayin'…" Ryonai said, giving her an innocent look.

"Well you're saying wrong." Narlafayn stated angrily, throwing her napkin to the table. "Excuse me, I think I'm going to retire now. Thank you for the food, hope to see you again soon." She turned on heel and marched upstairs, not looking behind her.

As she approached her room, the door was flung open, and Shizuka pranced out giggling. She froze as she saw Narlafayn, her smile dropping quickly. "Oh, Vuylay-sama doesn't feel good." She declared, her smile returning. "Might just want to let her sleep tonight." With that she continued her prance down the hall and back towards the restaurant, the same look of glee returning as she descended the second flight of stairs.

Vuylay had her head buried in her arms on the desk, and did not move as Narlafayn entered and sat on the bed heavily. A watery sniffle emanated from the depths of the cave she'd created for her face, and Narlafayn paused in removing her shoes to look at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, placing the heeled boot next to her bed. Vuylay answered her with a shrug, and then lifted her head to sniffle again and stare at the ceiling as she wiped her eyes.

"Narla…" Vuylay began, her voice choked with unwept tears. "Am I truly that disgusting?" Shocked, Narlafayn could only stare at the back of Vuylay's head, stunned that her friend would ask such a thing. Vuylay, the self-proclaimed professional flirt, was unsure of herself? "Never mind." She mumbled without waiting for an answer. She stood from the desk and lay down heavily on her own bed, her back facing Narlafayn.

Sometime during the night, Vuylay sat up with a start and stared into the darkness of their room silently. Narlafayn partially opened one eye to watch her, wondering if she were sleepwalking. She lay back down after a moment, and began to toss and turn, as if uncomfortable. After a few moments she sat up again and pushed herself from the bed, padding silently across the room and out the door. Narlafayn opened both eyes and raised her head as the door latched, wondering where Vuylay could be going at that hour. Dismissing it as a trip to the bathroom, she returned her head to her pillow and drifted back into the comforts of slumber.

Narlafayn woke alone in the room the next morning, and emerged from the inn to find Vuylay leaning against the lamppost in the center of town, staring at her shoes. She had a strange, feminine glow to her cheeks that gave her a completely different look than what she usually wore.

"Where did you go last night?" Narlafayn asked as she approached her. Vuylay raised her head to look at her quickly, startled. Narlafayn frowned and put her hands on her hips, something not quite right about the Dark Elf's appearance. She seemed skinnier somehow, as her usually skintight robes sagged slightly on her torso.

"I just took a walk." She said, looking back down as a blush touched her cheeks.

"Why is your chest suddenly a believable size?" Narlafayn suddenly asked, realizing that the Dark Elf's breasts had shrunk down from their usual melon width to that of a more medium size. Vuylay's head shot back up and she stared at Narlafayn with wide eyes before glancing down at her chest.

"Oh, I forgot." She tittered nervously. She shut her eyes and held her hands over her chest in a triangle shape; her lips moving as she silently recited a spell. Before Narlafayn's eyes, Vuylay's breasts suddenly expanded, enlarging to the size that she was more familiar with. Vuylay lowered her hands as she let out a breath, and returned to her dazed look.

"You mean…those are fake?" Narlafayn stuttered, pointing at her chest. Reality returning for her, Vuylay held a finger up to her lips and shushed her loudly.

"Its fairy glamour, shut up before someone hears you!" she hissed. "You'd be surprised at how many Dark Elves use it, so don't give me that look!" she glared. She folded her arms underneath her breasts and huffed loudly. "It's a stereotype Dark Elves gained, so if I didn't have them as well, it would just give the Village one more thing to ostracize me for. I've had the glamour on for so long that I feel strange without it." She grumbled, not looking at the still dumbfounded Light Elf.

"Message arrived for you, Miss Narlafayn." The Clan Hall custodian announced as she entered later that day. Narlafayn took the folded piece of parchment curiously and opened it up. Written in neat shorthand was a request from Leon, asking her to travel to the Dwarven Village and accompany a friend of his to Gludio, where he would meet them. With the note he had left her with enough money for the trip and a little extra for her trouble. Knowing that she wouldn't be needed in Gludin any time soon, Narlafayn sent a letter in response, telling him she would see him in Gludio with his friend.

Vuylay sat on the stairs outside of the church, staring at the sky with a dreamy look on her face. Narlafayn paused by her friend and watched her sigh like a teenager in love. "I'm going to the Dwarven Village, want to come?" she asked, startling the Dark Elf once again. She bolted to her feet, her eyes large. Behind Narlafayn, Ryonai and Shizuka emerged from the inn. Shizuka beamed as bright as the sun, but Ryonai looked ragged and worn out, as if he hadn't rested well. Upon seeing him emerge, Vuylay's cheeks turned pink, and she looked down.

"I think I'll stay here." She said in a low voice, scraping the toe of her shoe across the step in a shy way.

"Ok then…" Narlafayn said slowly, turning away from her. "I'll stop back here on the way to Gludio, so I'll pick you up then, ok?" Vuylay had raised her head and watched Shizuka and Ryonai once more, giving no motion that she had heard or even understood what Narlafayn had just said. Shaking her head in defeat, Narlafayn retrieved her travel pack from where it was stored in the Hall, restocked her provisions from the Clan Storage, and within moments was flying through dimensional space on her way to the Dwarven Village.

She somehow managed to land on her feet, only to loose her footing in deep snow and tumble down the gentle slope the Dwarven Gatekeeper stood upon. She jumped from the bank quickly and stamped her feet, trying to shake the snow from her armor and stay warm at the same time. A peal of high-pitched laughter met her ears, and Narlafayn turned to find a pink-haired dwarf with a ponytail on the side of her head pointing and laughing at her. She wore bronze armor and had a mace secured to her hip. Narlafayn glared at her as her teeth began to chatter, her dislike of Dwarves igniting to life.

"You're funny!" the Dwarf proclaimed, doubling over with her laughter.

"No, I'm freezing." Narlafayn shivered, walking away from the dwarf. She had trekked halfway through the town before turning around to find the Dwarf following her with her arms folded behind her head. "Do you want something?" she asked bitterly, looking down her nose at her. The Dwarf inspected her thoughtfully for a moment before putting a hand to her chin and lifting up the long half-skirt draped over Narlafayn's rear. "Stop that!" Narlafayn shouted, pulling away from the Dwarf's grasp.

"You must be Leon-Peon's friend!" the Dwarf exclaimed, giving Narlafayn the thumbs up. "Pleased to meetcha Panties-Lady, I'm Junk Pixie!"


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_In which Narlafayn has dinner with a bunch of dwarves and discovers that sometimes keeping your mouth shut is the best method_

"Wait…did you say your name was Pixie?" Narlafayn asked, ice seeping through her skin and freezing her veins. _Oh dear GOD…_ her mind said, recalling the time she encountered the sea of Dwarves in the Warehouse. _PLEASE just let it be extended family, PLEASE_. She pleaded.

"Uh huh!" Junk Pixie nodded enthusiastically. She hooked the hammer handle under her arm; the head still locked against her shoulder, and held up her hands. "There's Mama, Papa, Me, Spore, Lady Catherine, Spicy, Midget, Plenty, Ichigo, Nanaka, Sparticus, Gaseous…."

"DEAR GOD NOOOOOO!" Narlafayn shouted to the air, falling to her knees. She wept bitterly at her fate. "Leon, why did you do this to me?" she sniffled. Junk Pixie stared at her with large eyes for a moment, her hands still poised in her count-off of her family.

"Does your tummy hurt?" Junk Pixie asked curiously, tilting her head. Narlafayn looked up at her wearily, dark circles hovering under her eyes. "Didn't you eat your dinner? Mama Pixie says you can't go skinny dipping without a full tummy, otherwise there won't be enough air in your body to keep it afloat!" Junk Pixie said with a knowing nod. "You're in time to eat with us, c'mon!" with that she turned away, swinging her hammer and humming happily as she skipped towards their house. Emotionally weakened, Narlafayn had no choice but to follow. She wished to bolt to the Gatekeeper, while the Dwarf had her back turned, but Leon had helped her so often, she owed him at least this favor.

Junk Pixie led her through the semi-quiet snow covered streets, the only lights streaming out of the houses that lined the road. There was a lot of noise and laughter coming from a larger building that Narlafayn could only guess was an inn.

The houses themselves looked like larger versions of the gingerbread houses that people brought to the Grand Saints Day party, a treat which Narlafayn enjoyed greatly. Her stomach let out an audible gurgle in memory, and she placed a hand over it in embarrassment. Junk Pixie didn't seem to notice it however, lost in her own humming voice.

Junk Pixie led her to a small house nestled between two larger ones and paused in front of the door to stamp the snow from her feet. "In here." She said merrily and opened the door. Noise erupted from the interior of the house in a great gust of air, blowing Narlafayn's hair back. The door seemed to keep it bottled in, now opened it escaped gratefully.

Narlafayn entered timidly behind the Dwarf girl and dodged out of the way of several Dwarven children that chased each other past her. Everywhere she looked there were Dwarven children or babies climbing on the squat furniture or hanging off of light fixtures. One child had somehow fastened himself to the wall and an infant laid in an open drawer, sleeping soundly despite the noise.

"Mama, we have another for dinner!" Junk Pixie announced, opening the door to what Narlafayn supposed was the kitchen. There was an explosion and smoke suddenly poured out through the open doorway, filling the room with a black fog.

"WHEE, SOOT TIME!" an orange-haired Dwarf said, twirling about happily. A boy, just starting to get a dusting of beard hacked and coughed his way to a window and opened it. The smoke was sucked through the window as if there were a vacuum outside. When it dissipated, Narlafayn found that the children now had soot covering their cheeks and hair. The house too was covered in a light dusting of black soot, which the children gleefully began drawing pictures in.

"Ooh, Plenty is making dinner tonight!" Junk Pixie told Narlafayn happily. Narlafayn stared at her with large eyes and attempted not to laugh. Being in the full force of explosion had left all of Junk Pixie's face blackened save for a ring around her mouth. Unable to contain it, she began to snicker and wondered what her own face looked like.

"Take this Midget's love!" a voice cried from the kitchen.

"AFTER the potatoes, Plenty!" the voice that Narlafayn remembered as Mama Pixie commanded roughly. Mama Pixie exited the kitchen glaring over her shoulder, carrying a steaming bowl of something that appeared to be creamed spinach. In a sling similar to what one would support a wounded arm in laid a tiny newborn infant, which was latched onto one of Mama Pixie's uncovered breasts. Narlafayn thanked powers that be that the sling fabric and the infant's head covered most of the Dwarf's skin from view. She set the bowl down heavily and took a breath, then looked up at Narlafayn.

"Oh yes, Panties-Lady." Mama Pixie stated. "Go meet the children." She commanded, pointing to a chair.

"Where did I acquire that nickname?" Narlafayn asked in annoyance.

"You're an elf; elves like to show their panties. Now go sit." Mama Pixie commanded, pointing again. Her last encounter with Mama Pixie still too fresh in her memory to be comfortable, Narlafayn complied, and brushed the soot off of the seat cushion before sitting. She sat down carefully, taking off her sword belt and placing it against the chair. Mama Pixie waddled back into the kitchen just as another person came out. Narlafayn was surprised to see it was a human girl, her hair a bright flaming red which was cropped into a short shaggy style that reminded her of Koyori. She had to be no more than nine, and was as tall as Mama Pixie.

"Who's that?" Narlafayn asked curiously as Junk Pixie plopped a purple-haired child on her lap.

"Oh, that's my sister Shana." Junk Pixie said nonchalantly.

Narlafayn frowned slightly, her brow furrowing. "But she's hu-"

"SHHH!" Junk Pixie commanded, clamping a hand over Narlafayn's mouth. She moved so fast that she unintentionally smacked Narlafayn's face, causing the elf to wince. "We don't talk about that in front of anyone." Junk Pixie said seriously, letting Narlafayn's face go slowly. "Anyway, this is Nanaka." Junk Pixie introduced, drawing Narlafayn's attention to the little girl sitting on her lap and staring at her curiously. Narlafayn stared back, causing Nanaka's eyes to well up with tears. She let out a wail and began crying, lifting her tiny fists to her eyes. Narlafayn winced and looked over her shoulder, hoping that Mama Pixie didn't hear and wouldn't come barreling out to avenge her daughters discomfort. Unfazed, Junk Pixie lifted Nanaka off of Narlafayn's lap and placed the pink haired one she remembered hitting her with the hammer in the warehouse on her lap.

"I remember you." Narlafayn said flatly, lowering her eyes in annoyance.

"Of course you do, everyone remembers magical girls!" she said proudly, puffing out her chest.

"This is Ichigo." Junk Pixie introduced. "She'll be a great Magical Girl someday." She patted the grinning Dwarf on the head and pushed her gently off Narlafayn's lap before placing a little boy in her place. "We just humor her, no one really knows what a Magical Girl is. Ichigo's just a silly head." Junk Pixie added in a whisper as Ichigo dug a pair of worn cat ears from under the sleeping infant in the drawer. She shoved the drawer shut after placing them on her head, as if she didn't notice the infant sleeping there. Narlafayn jumped in alarm and attempted to stand. "You're not done meeting Gaseous yet!" Junk Pixie protested, catching her younger brother before he toppled off .

"That baby will suffocate!" Narlafayn exclaimed. Junk Pixie gave her a blank look before shrugging.

"Oh that. Don't worry-furry about it, Lady Catherine loves being in cramped places. He's more comfortable there. We think he climbs into the drawer just so people will shut him in." she said with a grin.

"_His_ name is Lady Catherine." Narlafayn repeated, her eyes dotting.

"Yup, such a grand name, isn't it? Mama really outdid herself naming him." Junk Pixie said proudly. She pointed to the newborn Mama Pixie carried in the sling as the aged Dwarf placed more food on the table. "That's Dorrin. Mama let our Papa name him. Dorrin's going to have Papa's last name instead of Mama's and be a great Blacksmith some day." Junk Pixie grinned.

"He doesn't get a choice in his future?" Narlafayn asked. Junk Pixie's expression turned blank and she stared through Narlafayn.

"Why would he want to do that? It takes too much time! Mama says that it's better to have your family pick your profession so you have more time to make shinies!" Junk Pixie said proudly. "I was born first though, so I got to pick what I wanted to do." She added with a spoiled tone of voice. Narlafayn jumped as a loud gong sound rang through the house. The reverberation vibrated a vase off of a display stand and it crashed onto the floor.

"You'll all eat now or else!" Mama shouted before sitting down at the head of the table. In the next instant there was a stampede of little bodies as the Dwarven children scrambled to find a chair.

"You can sit next to me." Junk Pixie told Narlafayn, leading her to an uneven stool and sitting her in it. Shana sat on the other side of Narlafayn and watched her with a similar expression that Nanaka had given her. Narlafayn made sure not to stare at the girl lest she have a similar reaction as the small purple haired Dwarf.

"Midget, you say grace." Mama Pixie commanded the red-haired, long-banged Dwarf that Narlafayn remembered as being one of the pair that stole her pack that day in Gludin. All of the Dwarven children obediently folded their hands on the table and bowed their heads. Narlafayn was amazed at the moment of silence that befell the table at that moment. She could feel her eardrums breathing a sigh of relief.

"Scoobadoo doo, thanks for the poo." Midget of Plenty said. The next instant was a flurry of movement and loud clatter of bowls and utensils as the Dwarven children attacked the meal like piranhas to meat.

"Hurry up Panties-Lady or there won't be any left!" Junk Pixie told her before disappearing into the cloud of flying food. She emerged with bits of mashed potato stuck to her face but a plate somehow neatly stacked with food. Narlafayn took a breath and composed herself before diving into the barrage of forks and spoons. A clod of fruit salad somehow made it's way up her nose as she reached for the meat, and someone stuck a spoon in her ear as she attempted to spoon out some potatoes, but she emerged with plenty to eat, amazed that she didn't die.

Narlafayn remained quiet throughout dinner, listening to the threads of conversation around her. She heard much on the price of ores and minerals in the conversations between Mama and Junk Pixie, and found out the Pixie's father was a Warehouse keeper originally from Heine. He worked in the Warehouse in the Dwarven Village now, and somehow made enough money to support his ever growing family. Junk Pixie was the oldest, followed by Spicy Pixie, an aspiring merchant. Next was Spore, the Dwarven youth whom opened the window earlier. Shana was said to be somewhere in the pecking order after him. After her came Midget of Plenty and Plenty of Midget, the gender of the twins was still indecipherable from Narlafayn's point of view as no one seemed to refer to them by any gender title. After those two the order was Ichigo, Nanaka, Gaseous, Sparticus, Lady Catherine and finally Dorrin. Mama Pixie made a few hints that she was expecting yet another already, and planned on naming it Pippop, regardless of its gender.

"So Panties-Lady, what do you think of my family?" Mama Pixie asked after dinner was cleared away and they sat at the table eating bowls of pudding. Narlafayn cleared her throat and put her spoon in her dish as eleven pairs of eyes turned to look at her.

"Your family is very….well… behaved…" Narlafayn said carefully, her eyes shut with her nervous smile. She opened them again and smiled genuinely towards Shana. "It was so nice of you to take a human girl into your home as well…"

Narlafayn's voice drifted off as the expressions on all of the Dwarves faces turned to that of shock, the one on Mama's of anger. "To whom are you referring, we're all Dwarves in here save for you." Mama said through clenched teeth.

"I'm not a human, I'm a Dwarf!" Shana suddenly shouted, standing up quickly. She burst into tears and raced from the room, Ichigo and Nanaka close on her heels.

"Out!" Mama Pixie commanded Narlafayn, pointing to the door.

"I'm sorry!" Narlafayn said desperately, hoping it would be enough to ease wounded feelings. It was freezing outside, and she couldn't return to the mainland without Junk Pixie.

"OUT." Mama Pixie said louder. Narlafayn stood up and retreated out the door like a beaten pup.

Remembering her travel pack Narlafayn turned around quickly, her eyes wide. "My pa-" she began, but never got to finish her sentence as the door was shut and locked tightly behind her. An icy wind blew, sending a wave of goose bumps over her. Yet another pack was lost to the Pixie family. Narlafayn sneezed once and then made her way towards the loud building to rent a room for the night and prayed they had a tab system.

"Where are you going?" Junk Pixie's voice came from behind her.

"Going to rent a room in the inn, where else?" Narlafayn said through chattering teeth. Junk Pixie stared at her blankly as if she had spoken in a foreign language. "You know, in that building over there." Narlafayn said, pointing towards it. She could see shadows of people dancing a jig through the window, and a few Dwarves stumbled drunkenly from it towards their home.

"That's not an inn silly head, that's the Temple of Maphr!" Junk Pixie giggled. She stamped her foot as her laughter increased. "They're having church tonight, why would you think that was an inn?"

"Because most churches don't look like that…" Narlafayn said sullenly, annoyed at Junk Pixie's reaction.

"Pishyposh, that's cuz you're used to your boring church where you gotta be quiet. Mama says Maphr likes a lot of noise, it means we're all having fun and it makes her happy that we're happy." She said.

"Then where am I going to sleep? It's a little too cold out here and I can't go back to the mainland until you come with me." Narlafayn said, her shivering increasing. She folded her arms across her chest in a vain attempt to keep warm.

"You're staying here of course." Junk Pixie said with large eyes. "Mama just wanted you out long enough to get Shana all happy again, it shouldn't take long." Junk Pixie pulled out a pocket watch to glance at the time. "Just don't say anything else about her being human, k? She's a little sensitive about that still; we're letting her think she's a Dwarf until she's ready to be a human. She already started to notice that she's getting taller than all of us." She patted Narlafayn on the arm like a wise old woman and grinned.

"Mama fish." Nanaka announced, opening the door a crack. "Mama fish Chana-chan." She repeated.

"Right on time. Come back in, it's time for after dinner games" Junk Pixie said, motioning Narlafayn to follow her. Relieved that her punishment wasn't permanent, Narlafayn let out a sign of relief and re-entered the house, eager to be warm.

From the very top of the spire adorning the Temple of Maphr, a small face watched Narlafayn enter the Pixie's home with a curious expression. A look of recognition crossed her dainty features and she gasped, covering her mouth loosely as if to mock stifle it. "It came back!" she said in a tiny voice. "I gotta tell mommy!" With that she disappeared into an explosion of dirt, showering the elderly Dwarven priest with earth as he stepped out to get a breath of fresh air. He jumped in surprise and craned his neck to look above him.

"Learn to watch where you teleport there, Maphr." He slurred, brushing the dirt from his beard.

Narlafayn somehow managed to sleep despite the tiny feet kicking her all night. She was set up in the center of the large mattress all of the Pixie children seemed to share. Lady Catherine and Dorrin were the only two not crammed onto the cushion; one having yet another drawer bed and the other was in a cradle in his parent's room. Sometime during the night she heard someone shuffle into the room and the sound of kissing. She cracked her eye open a bit to find a white-bearded Dwarven man smoothing the curls away from Nanaka's face in a parental fashion before standing and waddling out towards his room. _Must be their father._ She thought, returning to slumber.

The next day she was woken roughly from sleep before the sun was even up by a wail that Nanaka let loose. She sat up quickly, her hair tangled across her face and eyelids drooping. Around her the other children began to stir, Nanaka's sobs loud enough to wake even them.

"What's going on in here?" Mama demanded as she waddled in. Behind her stood the Dwarf Narlafayn had seen come in earlier, smoking on a pipe.

"Chana… Chana Ishigo g'bye bye!" Nanaka sobbed, holding up a piece of paper. Mama Pixie took it and skimmed it quickly.

"Oh great Maphr…" Mama Pixie gasped, stumbling backwards a bit with her hand to her chest. Her husband caught her by the shoulders and gently took the note to read. "She ran away from home…because she thinks she isn't a Dwarf…" Guilt suddenly gnawed at Narlafayn's insides with the look that Spore and Spicy gave her. "Ichigo went with her, oh my babies…" Great tears dripped down Mama Pixie's face and into her beard. "I've got to go find them!" she suddenly exclaimed, spinning around and waddling around her husband as quick as she could.

"Mama, you're in no condition to go out in this cold!" her husband stated, reaching out to grab her arm. "I'll call off work today and form a search party, don't fret!" He patted Mama's cheek in an affectionate manner as more large tears dripped down her cheeks.

"I'll go." Narlafayn offered, standing up. She winced slightly at how stiff her muscles had become. "It's my fault after all, might as well make up for it." Mama and her husband stared at Narlafayn with large eyes.

"Who is this?" Mama's husband asked, turning to his wife and motioning to Narlafayn with his pipe. "Did we adopt another? She's kind of old though…"

"Papa, this is Panties-Lady." Junk Pixie introduced, stepping around Narlafayn. "I'll go with her, you need to make more shinies for us Papa, so leave it to us!" she gave her father the thumbs up and grinned. Narlafayn shut her eyes in annoyance at being introduced as Panties-Lady yet again.

"My name is Narlafayn. NAR-LA-FAN" she corrected, making sure she pronounced it clearly for him.

"Well Panties-Lady, my bright daughter is right; I do need to make the shinies for my dear family, so I'll leave this to you! Please take care of my little girls and bring them home safely!" he moved in close to her and motioned for her to lower her head to his level. Remembering what happened the last time she got close to a Dwarf, Narlafayn hesitated, but leaned over anyway. "If I find even a hair harmed on their bodies when they get back…" he chuckled, his voice low and guttural. "Well… you'd better not come back with them." Narlafayn gulped loudly and nodded, finding that she did not question the threats coming from a Dwarf any longer.

"I go." The whispery voice of Nanaka came, followed by a tug on Narlafayn's blue dress. She looked down to find Nanaka clutching a teddy bear and looking up at Narlafayn with large eyes. "I find Chana n Ishigo." She promised.

"I think you might be a little too young for this trip little one." Narlafayn said sadly, kneeling. Large tears suddenly welled up in her eyes and Narlafayn instantly felt guilty.

"Don't you tell my babies no!" Mama Pixie suddenly said with a loud sniffle. "If Nanaka wants to go, you take her with you!" she snapped. Narlafayn sighed heavily, the burden of keeping all of the children safe now heavy on her shoulders.

"All right… let's go…" Narlafayn said, defeated. She was really beginning to dislike the beaten feeling the Pixie family left her with.

The sun was just coming up as Narlafayn left the Dwarven Village and made her way along an icy cliff. She walked with her eyes almost shut, and her mouth in a thin line, unsure of where to start. The Dwarven lands were vast and mountainous, and full of abandoned mineshafts. She snapped out of her deep pondering as Nanaka toddled ahead of them, towards a path to the east.

"Nanaka? Where are you going?" Narlafayn called.

"Ishigo here." Nanaka stated, clinging to her teddy bear as she climbed over a rock. "Shecret!" she said a little louder as she wandered farther away.

"Ooh, good going Nanaka! Of course they'd be over here!" Junk Pixie agreed. "Come on Narlafayn, we'll need your help to get through!" She skipped after her little sister, humming once more.

"Where are we going?" Narlafayn asked, finding that her moment of being the party leader had passed.

"The Mithril mines! Ichigo is always taking people in there; she thinks she can kill the Great Worm egg with her Magical Girl powers and save the planet." Junk Pixie said. "I'm pretty sure she would've figured out a reason to take Shana into that place." She shook her head and swung her mace back and forth. "Mama is always scolding Ichigo to stay out of there, but she just won't listen." She sighed heavily.

"Is it dangerous in there?" Narlafayn asked curiously, still ignorant to the Dwarven lands.

"Moderately so…just a few skeletons of workers who've died and some succubus at the back, nothing too dangerous." Junk Pixie shrugged. Narlafayn's mouth dropped open, as she still had trouble taking on Succubus, even with her level of training. She couldn't imagine how Ichigo or Shana, two children with barely any weapon training, could beat them in a fight.

They arrived at an obviously little-used old air shaft leading into the Mithril Mines within a few hours. Junk Pixie explained that the real Mithril Mines entrance was still several weeks' worth of travel from there. The mines themselves expanded for miles underneath the Wormspine Mountains, and this particular air shaft they found dumped them right on top of the Great Worm's egg sack. Apparently the children would play there, tempting fate, and just use a Gatekeeper's scroll to return home when they were through. Narlafayn once again shut her eyes in a grim look this time, thinking that they needed to instill a law to prevent minors from purchasing Gatekeeper scrolls.

Slipping into the airshaft after them, Narlafayn was dismayed to find that it was steep, and she couldn't climb down, only slide. Spider webs and all manner of mineshaft crawlies fell into her hair as she fell through the shaft, and she flailed, trying to remove them from her body. She tumbled comically out of the end of the shaft and fell a few feet into a shallow pond.

"ISHIGO!" Nanaka cried suddenly, grabbing Narlafayn's attention. She pulled herself from the water and onto a slope leading into the mine tunnel to find Nanaka hiding behind a rock, crying. In front of her stood Ichigo and Junk Pixie, fighting off skeletons.

"In the name of Blacksmith Pushkin, I will punish you!" Ichigo proclaimed, waving around her ribbon-graced hammer. She ran headfirst towards a sword-wielding skeleton bravely, and let out a noise that sounded similar to a cat's meow as she smacked the undead creature in the kneecap. Junk Pixie smoothly hit the skeleton with her mace, stunning it and stepping back to inspect her fingernails as Ichigo beat it to second death. Narlafayn grimaced as their fathers words came back to haunt her in clarity.

"Where's Shana?" Narlafayn asked, alarmed. Junk Pixie and Ichigo looked up at her with large eyes, having so much fun that they had forgotten about their sister. On cue, a scream sounded from the upper ledge of the mine, and Narlafayn dashed towards it.

Shana was huddled against a stalagmite, shaking in fear as a skeleton approached her with his sword raised. Behind her, on a circular platform that seemed to hover over the pond below was a strange, webbed cocoon that Narlafayn could only assume was the Worm's egg.

"Hey!" Narlafayn shouted to the skeleton, and then winced, knowing that the creature wouldn't respond to voice anymore. She quickly cast the spell that would draw the monster's attention to herself, and provoke him to attack only her. Still inexperienced in casting the spell, she managed to draw the skeleton's attention, but also the attention of several succubus and a few Underground Werewolves as well. "Oh shi-" she managed to get out before bolting. The skeleton defeated, Junk Pixie, Nanaka and Ichigo watched Narlafayn race around the mine room with matching large eyes. _Dangit, they're going to go after the kids._ Narlafayn grumbled to herself._ Well, if I'm going to go down, might as well go down with a fight._ She slid to a stop and drew her sword, turning to face the oncoming beasties bravely.

With all of her might she began to fight the creatures, stabbing the werewolf through the heart, and beheading one of the succubuses who let out an ear-piercing screech as the blade cut her. A Succubus screeched and sliced at Narlafayn's face with one of the jur weapons she held, opening a cut in Narlafayn's forehead and causing her to stumble. She righted herself quickly, holding up her shield to deflect the blow the skeleton attempted to land on her while she was distracted. Blood began to seep down her face and into her eye but she managed stabbed the Succubus through her chest before gracefully spinning and lopping off the skeleton's head. It stumbled around precariously, searching for it. Another Succubus screeched and sliced her jurs down Narlafayn's back, leaving twin slices in her skin that her bronze chest plate didn't totally deflect. She cried out and arched her back with the pain before whipping around and attempting to behead the she-demon.

The succubus blocked her sword with her jurs, seemingly more intelligent in battle than her sisters had been, and screeched as she sliced at Narlafayn once more. Narlafayn blocked them with her shield, and stabbed the Succubus through her thigh. The Succubus screamed loudly and flailed as Narlafayn withdrew her blade and shoved it through the thin skin stretched between the succubus' wing bones. Another scream came from the Succubus' throat as she fell heavily to the ground. Immobilized from standing or flying, the she-demon's face contorted into one of fear as she attempted to scramble away from Narlafayn, her leg dragging uselessly across the rocky ground. Narlafayn slowly approached her, looking down at the demon without expression, her eyes swirling with blackness. The succubus opened her mouth wide with a hissing scream, bearing her sharp fangs at Narlafayn in a futile attempt at intimidating her to leave her alone. Without pity, and her eyes completely black, Narlafayn lifted her sword and brought it down in the middle of the Succubus' chest. The demon squealed and struggled, her limbs flopping uselessly from pain like a doll being shook. She twisted the sword once, the succubus stilling as a sickening crack sounded through the mine.

"You're getting stronger." A deep voice commented. Her eyes still completely black, Narlafayn raised her head to find the caped man standing several feet away from her, the hood still hiding the upper half of his face in shadow. Narlafayn pulled her sword from the Succubus' body and swayed to one side slowly, regarding the man with expressionless curiosity.

"Who are you?" she asked in a lifeless voice. The man chuckled once and smirked, lifting his head up enough for her to see the gleam of his eye.

"Your master." The man responded. Narlafayn's eyes returned to normal as her lips parted in surprise.

"Look out!" Shana shouted. Narlafayn turned just as the skeleton, his head on backwards, swung his sword at her. There was a hiss, and suddenly the skeleton crumbled into dust, Junk Pixie standing behind him, still posed in the swing that destroyed him.

"Uh…thanks." Narlafayn said, surprised at the young Dwarf's strength.

"Narly…" Junk Pixie began, her eyes hidden by her bangs. Narlafayn began to panic; did one of the girls get hurt while she was fighting the monsters? Junk Pixie surprised her by lifting her head quickly, her eyes shining. "You're Junk Pixie's onee-san!" she said in awe. Narlafayn's eyes dotted and she blinked several times.

"You're welcome?" she said, unsure of how to respond.

"The way you fought all of those monsters…wow!" Junk Pixie continued, her eyes sparkling.

"Ichigo will make you her honorary sidekick!" Ichigo said, bouncing up to them. "Just don't make Ichigo look bad next time, ok?" she pouted.

"Ok…" Narlafayn agreed, suddenly feeling weak. The mine shaft began to swim around her and she collapsed, her wounds catching up to her.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_In which Narlafayn has a heart-to-heart with Mama Pixie and sees something she wishes she hadn't_

Narlafayn remained in the Dwarven Village through the winter, helping Junk Pixie on her quest to become a Scavenger. The Dwarven Grand Saint's Day party was much louder than the one held in the Elven Village; food, Dwarven music and mead were in abundance like no other that Narlafayn had ever seen before. Not keen on drinking Dwarven Mead after what happened with the Dre Vanul wine, Narlafayn was saddled with the duty of babysitting the children of the Village once the adults realized she was still sober. Junk Pixie and Shana helped her, and soon they had the mass of Dwarven children playing games that Junk Pixie would make up from the top of her head. Ichigo even managed to get a few girls together to put on a play about Magical Girls. A black-haired human boy named Masaya, visiting from Schuttgart, was pegged with the role of Ichigo's love interest. Painfully shy around girls, he stuttered through half of the lines Ichigo had given him and turned beet red when she proclaimed that he had to kiss her during the climax of the story. Unable to take it anymore, Masaya bolted and the gaggle of girls that Ichigo had gathered for the play took off after him.

"Enjoying the party, Panties-Lady?" Mama Pixie slurred, stumbling over to her. As always, Dorrin was in his sling nursing and Narlafayn winced, wondering if Mama Pixie had any decency, ever.

"It's a lot livelier than the one in the Elven Village." Narlafayn commented carefully. She pursed her lips as Mama Pixie swayed with a dopey grin on her face. "Should you be drinking when you're both nursing and pregnant?" she asked.

"Gotta build up their tolerance somehow!" Mama Pixie sniggered, waving her hand. The movement caused her beard to tilt, and Narlafayn's eyes dotted. Mama Pixie didn't seem to notice and took another swig from her mug, drinking through the hair that now covered her mouth.

"Uh… your… facial hair…is crooked…" Narlafayn said uneasily. Mama Pixie's eyebrows shot up and she looked at Narlafayn in surprise.

"Wuh oh, guess the jig is up!" she said in a light voice. She reached up and took a handful of the beard, then pulled it off in one movement. Narlafayn's eyes widened as far as they could go as the beard snapped off Mama Pixie's face, secured on only by a bit of cosmetic glue and ear straps. Her face underneath, although aged, was an exact copy of Junk Pixie's.

"You mean you're fake too?" Narlafayn exclaimed loudly, staring at the mass of beard that lay on the snow like a strange furry creature. Mama Pixie snort giggled into her mead, splattering it over the rim. "First Vuylay's boobs now the Dwarven woman's beard…what's next, Orc women are really men? Why can't you guys be natural?" Narlafayn threw her hands into the air to accentuate her words, causing Mama Pixie to giggle into her drink again.

"It's called stereotype, Panties-Lady. Ste-re-o-type." Mama Pixie said calmly, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. "There are some Dwarven women who grow beards, and it just so happened that those are the ones that went out into the world first, thus all of the Dwarven Women became known to have beards, even though it happens so rarely these days." She explained. "Just the same with Dark Elves, a few women with larger bosoms than most probably were the first to be seen. Chalk it up to vanity on their part, we Dwarves just like to have fun with you other races." Mama Pixie regarded Narlafayn as she lifted her mug for another drink. "I can see where such a concept would escape you, you've got a body that matches a small-breasted Dark Elf more than a Light Elf." She observed. "Must be nice, do you attract many men?" Narlafayn's face turned red with her question, and she lowered her head enough to hide her eyes.

"Not really… I mean, there's one guy, but…" Narlafayn began.

"But…?" Mama Pixie prodded, nudging her with an elbow. Narlafayn drew her shoulders up in embarrassment.

"I haven't seen him since we slept together." She said in a small voice.

"Uh oh." Mama Pixie sighed. Narlafayn's head lifted in alarm and she focused on her. "He was a Dark Elf, wasn't he?"

"Um… yeah, he was." Narlafayn said, blinking in surprise. Mama Pixie tsked and shook her head, patting Narlafayn's arm with her free hand.

"Dear girl, never fall for a Dark Elf. They're as flighty as the Arteias. They will bind themselves to no one." Mama Pixie said sadly. She gave Narlafayn a wistful smile. "I searched far and wide for a suitable husband before I found Papa, and I didn't rule out finding my soul mate amongst other races." Narlafayn felt a knot growing in her throat with Mama Pixie's words, and she turned away from the older woman. "It is how Shilen created them, young one. If you find one that would tie themselves to you, chances are they're not pureblood. However, the chance of that is slim these days, Dark Elves are not out of the practice of removing unwanted accidents from their flamboyant excursions." Narlafayn said nothing, but began to walk away from the Dwarf, and towards the house.

She crawled onto the mattress between Nanaka and Ichigo, the smaller of the two rolling over and latching onto Narlafayn's waist. She sighed heavily into the darkness, letting the even sounds of the children's breathing calm her emotions. She felt that Mama Pixie meant no harm by what she said to her, but at the same time she did not want to consider the possibility of Deathswalker not really caring about her. A tear escaping one of her eyes, Narlafayn swallowed back the sob that wanted to come forth and shut her eyes to sleep.

As winter came to a close, Junk Pixie was ready to head to Gludio to finish her training. It was a bright and sunny morning the day the Pixie family gathered around the mechanical doll that served as Gatekeeper. The sun reflected off of the snow so brightly that Narlafayn had to keep her eyes shielded from it.

"Well Junky, you finally made it." Mama Pixie said proudly, petting Junk Pixie's head. She had not bothered to secure the beard back to her face yet, saying she had to order a new one since she ruined hers by throwing it in the snow. "Go out there and make lots of shinies my little one."

"Aye aye, Mama!" Junk Pixie exclaimed, saluting her. Narlafayn sighed and stretched as the rest of Junk Pixie's family bid their farewells to her. She paused mid-stretch as Midget and Plenty ambled up to her shyly, their hands behind their backs.

"Here Panties-Lady." Midget said, and both Dwarves moved their arms to reveal what they held-Narlafayn's pack that they had taken over a year ago.

"We saw you got lost in the Orcy Town so we kept it safe for you." Plenty said in a shy tone. Touched, Narlafayn gave the twins a wistful smile and took the pack from their hands. They bolted the instant she held it, and ran into the house. Shaking her head at how shy they really were when it got down to it, Narlafayn smiled and opened the flap of the pack to see how much they'd left in it. The instant the pack was opened, a strange creature that appeared to be can-shaped butt popped out of a little wooden box they'd rigged up inside of it and sprayed her with a butter-smelling pink liquid. Narlafayn stared out towards the house as the spray diminished and growled softly in the back of her throat.

"Cute." She grumbled, deadpan.

The farewells to Junk Pixie lasted another ten minutes and finally the pair paid for their passage to Gludio. Narlafayn once again landed ungracefully on her bottom, but Junk Pixie somehow managed to remain upright and landed as if she were coming down from a jump.

"That was fun! Let's do it again!" she exclaimed, spinning on heel and dancing over to Gludio's Gatekeeper.

"Oh no, we don't waste money on Gatekeeper spells when it's not necessary." Narlafayn commanded, grabbing Junk Pixie by the back of her collar and hauling her towards the Blacksmiths.

"Yes we do." Junk Pixie retorted innocently, looking over her shoulder at Narlafayn. "Money grows on trees Panties-Lady, didn't you know?" Narlafayn shut her eyes in annoyance but was unable to voice the sarcastic response that struggled to be free. "Leon-Peon!" Junk Pixie suddenly shouted, slipping out of Narlafayn's grasp and running back the way they had came. Narlafayn turned in surprise to find the Dwarf tackling Leon's leg in a hug. The youth gave her a lopsided smile, his cheeks pink in embarrassment at the affection the small person was showing him.

"Well hello there." Narlafayn said with a grin, hugging him herself. "You're looking good, how have you been?" she pulled back to inspect him like a long-lost relative. Leon had grown taller in the time that they spent apart, and no longer looked awkward with his mature expression. He wore red and blue Brigandine armor also, which added a distinguished effect to him.

"I see you survived the winter with the Pixies." Leon grinned, prying Junk Pixie gently from his leg. "How was it?" Narlafayn gave him an exaggerated eye twitch to convey her feelings on that subject and he chuckled. "Have you finished your tasks yet?" he asked Junk Pixie, looking down at her.

"Nuh uh, Panties-Lady was taking me there, though." Junk Pixie proclaimed.

"Panties-Lady?" Leon questioned, looking up at Narlafayn with a raised eyebrow.

"Your guess is as good as mine." She shrugged.

"Well, why don't you go get that done? Narlafayn and I will wait for you in the inn." He said good-naturedly to the red-haired Dwarf. Junk Pixie did a strange sort of pose with one arm stretched above her head and one leg bent before spinning on her toes and prancing into the village. He waited until she had gone around the corner before turning to face Narlafayn. "Actually, I have something for you, come with me." He stated mysteriously, and grinned.

Leon took Narlafayn into the Warehouse behind the Inn and pulled something from his storage and handed it to her. Narlafayn blinked at the heavy pile of metal in her hands blankly, then looked back up at her friend.

"That's thanks for all of your hard work." Leon said, nodding at the pile. "I know the Pixie family can grate any normal person's nerves, so I figured I'd try and compensate you for any discomfort." Narlafayn looked back down at the pile and inspected it.

"Is this…armor?" she asked, excitement beginning to seep into her arms.

"Yup, Mithril. It's just my old set, but I'd rather you have it than sell it." Leon smiled. Narlafayn looked up at him with shining eyes.

"Leon, I would hug you right now but I'm afraid I'd have to drop the armor." She said in a thick voice. Leon had such a good heart, she felt almost guilty for accepting yet another gift of armor from him.

"Well hurry up and go change and then I'll let you give me a hug." Leon laughed good-naturedly. "I have a shield and sword for you as well, so hurry back." Narlafayn gave him another misty-eyed smile before turning and dashing towards the inn.

Leon already had the Mithril armor magically altered for her. It consisted of a bland dark and light gold striped under tunic that ended at her midriff which was covered then by a lighter bland gold breastplate and oval-shaped shoulder guards. The gaiters left her feeling awkward and naked, as it consisted of a metal bikini covered by a butt-covering only skirt made up of several layers of pointed metal pieces. Her legs were protected by bland yellow colored thigh highs made out of a heavy fabric. The gaiters themselves left Narlafayn feeling like some sort of exotic metallic bird, but she was grateful for the new set of armor.

She returned to the warehouse with a large smile on her face and traded her old armor, shield and sword to Leon and accepted her new set. He gave her a large white and bland gold Hopolon shield that had enchantments upon it to protect her against poison when it was wielded with her Mithril armor, and a sharper, slightly better forged sword called the Sword of Revolution.

"So have you decided what you're going to do after you finish your Knight training?" Leon asked her later as they sat in the inn waiting for Junk Pixie. Narlafayn traced a finger around the edge of her cup and shrugged.

"I like the idea of having two blades like the Swordsinger, but I'm not so sure if I'm brave enough to sing in front of people." She said. "Besides, November is enough of a Swordsinger for the entire clan…I think they need a Temple Knight more." She continued thoughtfully.

"A Temple Knight suits you better." Leon agreed, taking a drink. "How close are you to completing?"

Narlafayn's expression went sheepish and she ducked her head down. "Still a ways to go…" she mumbled. Leon sighed heavily and shook his head.

"What have you been doing all of this time? Haven't you been training?" he asked gently. Narlafayn half-heartedly shrugged and glanced towards the inn door.

"Kind of..?" she offered feebly.

"Well, I have to make a quick trip to Talking Island after Pixie does her thing here, want to come with? I'll take you training after I'm through." Leon offered.

"Sure, that sounds like fun." She smiled. "What are you returning back there for?" she asked curiously, tilting her head.

"Oh nothing much, I'm just curious to see how things are doing out there. Check on my old haunts and such." He said casually.

"Checking on Sharmin?" Narlafayn asked, a wicked grin spreading on her face. Leon's blank expression melted it off as quickly as it formed.

"I suppose I could do that, yeah…" he considered thoughtfully, looking to the ceiling. Narlafayn's hand stilled in it's tracing around the cup rim and she stared at him evenly.

"You mean you didn't think of doing that before?" she asked in slight disbelief.

"Well, I wouldn't want to interrupt her studies." Leon stated innocently. Narlafayn sighed heavily and drooped over the table, disbelieving that the boy was still so dense even after all this time had passed.

"You do realize she likes you, right?" Narlafayn asked bluntly. Leon blinked at her again, his expression still blank.

"Of course she does, she's a good person who likes many people." He responded.

"You're impossible." Narlafayn groaned, her head on the table now.

"You ok?" Leon asked, poking her head.

Later on that afternoon, Narlafayn wandered about the square as Leon took Junk Pixie out for a quick training session in the Maille Lizardman Barracks. She had no desire to return to that place after what had happened there the last time, so she opted to remain in town until he was ready to head to Gludin. She paused at a Dwarven Merchants blanket to inspect his wares curiously, and purchased a small bundle of blue magic threads that, once fused with her sword, would magically increase her strength. She crouched down to the blanket to inspect some jewelry curiously, squinting as she tried to decide if the ring the merchant had for sale was fake or not.

"You're late!" she heard a sultry voice pout behind her. There was the sound of footsteps and then one of kissing. Narlafayn shut her eyes and shuddered, the sound of spit being swapped landing unpleasantly on her ears.

"Sorry babe, I had a lot to take care of." Deathswalker's voice came next. Narlafayn's eyes flew open and she dropped the ring she held as if it had become hot.

"Hey, be careful with that!" the merchant exclaimed, picking up the ring and checking the gemstone for breaks. Narlafayn stood quickly and turned around, her eyes large. There was no sign of Deathswalker behind her, only townsfolk, adventurers and merchants as they shuffled about their duties.

"Deathswalker?" she called. Her voice was not loud enough to penetrate the hum of conversation around her and went unheard.

"He went thataway." A familiar looking human with slicked back brown hair stated, pointing towards the north side of town.

"Thanks." Narlafayn said gratefully and dashed into the crowd. She paused in the middle of the street and scanned the houses around her quickly, the faces in the crowd blurring together in her desperate search. In the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of a Dark Elf disappearing around the corner of the church, and her legs sprang into action, carrying her towards it. As she came near the corner, the Dark Elf backed up slightly, not noticing her presence, to grin at something in front of him. Deathswalker's bright red headband caught Narlafayn's eyes first and a happy smile broke out on her face. She moved to step around the corner but halted when she realized that he had moved to lean a knee against the town wall to support a Dark Elf woman who had her legs wrapped around his waist. The skirt of his Manticore armor had been hiked up around his waist and Narlafayn slammed her back against the church, out of view, as she realized what the pair was doing. Her hands flew to her mouth to stifle the sob that threatened to come forth, and tears stung her eyes.

"What could you have been doing that kept you away for so long?" the woman asked, slightly breathless.

"Oh you know…people…" he responded huskily. The woman giggled a sultry laugh and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I heard you had to go into hiding after killing all of those clan people." The woman said coyly.

"You heard right." Deathswalker responded softly. "It was so easy too, I got good bait this time." Unable to stomach any more, Narlafayn fled from her hiding spot and out the city gates. She half slid, half tumbled down the small incline towards the river that flowed past Gludio and landed on her side on the bank. She lay panting for a moment before drawing to her knees and vomiting up what little she had eaten earlier that day.

"This isn't real." She sobbed, hunched over. "This isn't real…"

Leon returned long after the sun had gone down toting a sleeping Junk Pixie on his back. She met them at the city gate, forcing a wistful smile upon her face. "What happened?" Leon asked curiously, noting Narlafayn's puffy eyes.

"I think I'm allergic to something out here." She said, her nose stuffed.

"Huh, wonder what it is…" Leon wondered curiously. "I'm going to drop Pixie off in her room and then we'll head to Gludin, alright?" he said, walking towards the inn. "I hope you don't mind sleeping on the ship, if we want to get there quickly we'll have to leave on the midnight boat." He said professionally.

"I'll just have Vuylay knock me out." Narlafayn grimaced, forgetting that they were all still too poor to afford the price the Gatekeeper had set for a spell to take them to the island.

"Vuylay?" Leon asked, his calm voice tinged with fear. Narlafayn smiled slightly despite herself, recalling the poor boy's previous horror.

"Yeah, I told her I'd come back and get her after delivering Junk Pixie. I'm sure she's bored to tears by now." Narlafayn said lightly. "I'll make her behave, I promise." She laughed, noting Leon's eye twitch. "Hopefully she's become an Oracle by now, she's had enough time to finish her tasks ten times over." She added, glancing at nothing to the left of her.

After depositing Junk Pixie in her room and telling the groggy Dwarf goodbye, Narlafayn and Leon made their way towards the Gatekeeper, Leon telling her of what he and Junk Pixie had done all afternoon. He said she already had the hang of being a Scavenger by what he could tell; her mother must've been teaching her the basics from day one.

"Narla?" Deathswalker's voice came in surprise, just as the Gatekeeper had cast her spell. Narlafayn slowly raised her head to find Deathswalker standing on the stairway leading down to where the Gatekeeper stood, his face one of shock. The Dark Elf woman stood behind him, watching her without expression. The spell took effect a moment later, fading Gludio into darkness and replacing it with the salty sea scent and stone buildings of Gludin.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

_In which Narlafayn returns to Talking Island and witnesses a strange ritual_

Narlafayn, Leon and a very groggy, cranky Vuylay sat on the docks a little after midnight, waiting for the next ship to arrive. Upon arrival in Gludin, Narlafayn was dragged to the Clan Hall for a small conference about a castle siege her clan was to take part in. Not strong enough yet to be much good in that sort of battle, Narlafayn could only sit on the sidelines and listen to Inaphase talk. Glarawen and November were not present, Inaphase reported they were somewhere in Aden territory, fulfilling a set of tasks that he had given them.

"Narlafayn." Inaphase had called her as the meeting dispersed. She lifted her head quickly and looked at the alliance leader with raised eyebrows. "Be careful to whom you associate with from now on, understand?" he said in his accented voice. Narlafayn parted her lips and squinted slightly at him, her heart pounding at the inclination of his words.

She had retrieved Vuylay from the inn immediately after, and now the three of them sat in silence, all too tired to be truly excited to see each other again.

"Took you long enough to get back here." Vuylay grumbled, adjusting the diamond-shaped opening in her dress to cover her appropriately. "What were you doing, finding more Dark Elves to chase?" A bitter arrow stabbed Narlafayn in the chest with her words, but she forced her expression to remain calm.

"Just took me a little longer to get things done. And no, I was with a bunch of Dwarves this entire time." She added, frowning at the skeptical look Vuylay cast her. She raised her eyebrows as a piece of woven fabric shoved into her dress caught her eye. "What's that?" she asked curiously.

Vuylay's face instantly turned pink and she clamped a hand over it. "Nothing." She said quickly. Narlafayn pursed her lips and lowered her eyelids at her friend, who was nervously avoiding her gaze.

"Was that a clan crest?" Leon asked, peering around Narlafayn's head.

"Maybe.." Vuylay said sullenly, still not looking at them.

"Ooh, congrats!" Narlafayn said with a smile. "Which clan? Are they powerful?" she asked eagerly. Vuylay's shrugged slightly and pulled the crest from its hiding spot to spread out on her lap. A single, smoke-colored wing against a rosy background adorned the crest. A white border framed it, making it into a very pretty crest in comparison to the black and silver pirates pistol Narlafayn's crest had.

"Not really….yet." Vuylay said quickly. "It's Haibane, Ryonai's clan." She said, her cheeks turning pink once more. Narlafayn blinked at Vuylay's subdued reaction in surprise. It was almost like she was in love with the boy.

"Ryonai has a clan now? Wow." Leon said, impressed. "Although he always did have grand plans for his future. I wish you guys luck." Narlafayn glanced down at Leon's own clan crest which he kept displayed on his travel pack.

"Did your crest change?" she asked, noting the strip of fabric that had been sewn onto it.

"Oh that…we're in an alliance now." Leon shrugged, pushing the crest out of sight. Narlafayn frowned as she tried to recall where she had seen the particular color of the extra strip of fabric on Leon's crest before.

"Ship's here, are you ready?" Vuylay asked, pushing herself to her feet. She placed a hand on Narlafayn's shoulder and positioned her other hand level with her neck, ready to hit it.

"Wait until I'm on the ship first." Narlafayn glared, offended at Vuylay's eagerness to do Narlafayn harm.

Narlafayn remained unconscious for most of the journey, waking up long enough to drink water or relieve herself before allowing Vuylay to knock her out once more. She knew that staying unconscious for the boat ride was better than spending her time bent over the railing, but she really disliked the headache she woke up with. She hoped the next time she rode the boat a magic user would be present, and she could just have them cast a sleep spell upon her.

When they got off the boat it was late afternoon. The air was warmer on Talking Island, more like early summer instead of early spring, and the trees already had leaves on them. Narlafayn sighed happily and took a deep breath, happy to see green after spending so long in Elmore. Leon took a deep breath himself and let it out slowly, his eyes shut.

"Wow, I really did miss this place." He said, a nostalgic smile creeping up on his face.

"You haven't returned here at all since you left?" Narlafayn asked, surprised. Leon shook his head and scanned the docks with his hands on his hips.

"That's odd….it looks like there's less people working out here than there used to be." Leon observed. He shrugged and shouldered his travel pack. "Shall we be off?" he asked them.

"Where are we going?" Vuylay asked, following him as he turned to follow the path in the opposite direction of town.

"I suddenly have an urge to go see the Waterfalls." Leon answered. "I was always told the fishing was excellent there, but I never got a chance to try it out before."

"You're here to go fishing?" Vuylay asked, incredulous.

"What happened to visiting your old haunts?" Narlafayn asked, her tone of voice echoing Vuylay's.

"There'll be plenty of time for that later. It's the perfect time of day for the fish to be biting." Leon stated cheerfully, walking ahead of them.

"Since when does he go fishing?" Vuylay asked Narlafayn as the two Elves followed him with matching skeptical expressions.

Leon took them around the small mountain range in the center of the island to a path that ran behind and underneath the waterfall. Giant spiders roamed in thick groups here, and Narlafayn found herself once again slaying the giant arachnids.

"Well this is nostalgic." She commented, stabbing a spider through the head. "We met this way, didn't we?" she asked, looking up at Leon.

"I think so…my memory's a bit fuzzy." Leon said, squinting. Narlafayn sighed and shook her head as she sheathed her sword.

"What's up?" she asked, approaching Vuylay, who stood on the path leading towards the waterfall. Narlafayn let out a noise of surprise as Vuylay wrapped her arm around Narlafayn's neck in a headlock. She pointed towards a pair of teens seated on a rock underneath the waterfall, talking with one another.

"Look, look, two kids about to make out!" Vuylay whispered, her voice full of glee. "Let's go watch!" With that she took off, climbing up the hill that the waterfall was nestled against to watch the teens from above.

"You pervert, get back here!" Narlafayn hissed. She sighed bitterly and turned towards Leon to ask him to help her pull Vuylay back, but found the youth fighting another spider in nostalgic bliss. Sighing heavily, she squared her shoulders and took off after her voyeuristic friend.

"It's about time you got here, this is juicy!" Vuylay whispered, a large smile plastered over her face. "The guy has the girl talking and has been slowly inching closer to her. It's a juvenile method of courtship but I enjoy watching it." She narrated, ducking down.

"Hey, is that Gatz…?" Narlafayn asked herself more than Vuylay, seeing the youth clearly as he turned to look over his shoulder at something behind them. "That must be Sharmin then…" she decided, squinting through the diminishing light at the brown-haired girl seated next to him.

"Aw, no. Leon's still coming this way, the idiot. He's going to interrupt them!" Vuylay pouted, rising up slightly to glance down the path.

"Uh oh." Narlafayn grunted, her eyes large. Her first visit to Talking Island had just returned to her in startling clarity, and she fully recalled the love triangle between the three teens who were about to reunite.

"Yeah, go for it, guy!" Vuylay suddenly whispered loudly and giggled. Narlafayn looked down at the two teens, then blushed and pushed Vuylay's face into the grass.

"Don't watch them when they're kissing!" she hissed at her.

"Nice save!" Vuylay approved, her voice muffled in the ground.

"Well look who's here. You're a few months late DiValmont, they've already repaired the Village from the siege." Narlafayn heard Gatz state icily, only partially looking over his shoulder.

"Do I detect jealousy in that voice?" Vuylay wondered aloud with glee. "How curious." She grinned. There was no doubt in Narlafayn's mind that Gatz's companion was Sharmin, as she saw the girl clearly as she stood quickly. Narlafayn winced in pity at the embarrassed, shocked look Sharmin wore. She knew the embarrassment was wasted on Leon, as he probably didn't even notice they had been kissing.

"What are you talking about?" Narlafayn heard Leon's voice come from around a rock. He was still out of sight from them save for the top of his head and the point of his brig shield.

"Did he just sound bitter to you?" Vuylay asked hopefully. Narlafayn sighed and shook her head.

"No, I think he's confused at Gatz's tone of voice." Narlafayn admitted, almost disappointed.

"Oh, so you didn't get the memo?" Gatz asked sarcastically, standing to face Leon. "The monsters laid siege to the Village a few months ago. I managed to catch the boat coming back, on time to help stop things. Where might have you been, oh great Knight?"

"Wow, he's pissed." Vuylay observed, impressed.

"They were seiged?" Narlafayn thought aloud, suddenly feeling guilty for not being there to help herself.

"Gatz…" Sharmin's voice came, shocked.

"Oh that's right, you were too busy playing with the Elves to come back to help, weren't you." Gatz continued, his voice becoming more challenging.

"He noticed us." Vuylay said grimly as Gatz cast them a quick glare.

"Well no duh, you weren't exactly quiet." Narlafayn glared. Vuylay looked to the air innocently as if she didn't hear Narlafayn.

"Now see here…" Leon attempted to interject.

"I can see clearly DiDumba…"

"Gatz, ENOUGH!" Sharmin finally shouted, facing him. "What has gotten into you? Why are you being such an asshole?" she asked, glaring. Gatz blinked at her, expressionless, before shrugging and turning away.

"It's called 'jealousy'. Gods, are they all dense?" Vuylay scoffed, making a face as she watched Gatz retreat.

"Something like that." Narlafayn admitted, her eyes shut into a thin line. Sharmin watched Gatz leave for a second before turning to face Leon, who came into view of the Elves.

"I'm glad you're ok." Leon told her, sheathing his sword. Sharmin's head, which had been lowered in shyness, flew up at the sound of his voice. "Were many people hurt?"  
"Several were killed," she began, clutching her bicep nervously, "including my parents."

"Perfect chance to hug her Leon, take it!" Narlafayn encouraged quietly.

"I'm rooting for the other boy; Leon's kind of the third wheel now." Vuylay protested.

"Gah!" Narlafayn groaned as Leon only placed a concerned hand on her shoulder.

"This has gone on enough, Leon's moving in on someone else's turf." Vuylay grumbled, and pushed roughly on Narlafayn's shoulder. Narlafayn had but a second to stare at Vuylay in shock before she tumbled over the edge and down onto the flat rock below. She landed on her hip, her gaiter skirt digging into her thigh, and groaned as she rolled onto her back. Vuylay pushed her shield over a second afterwards, which landed with a clang beside her.

"Vuylay… I will KILL you…" Narlafayn groaned, curling into a ball as she winced in pain.

"Go ahead and try." Vuylay giggled, peering down.

"Sorry to interrupt your tender reunion…" Narlafayn apologized, pushing herself to her feet. "SOME people can't mind their own business and not cause trouble." She cast a glare above her, and Vuylay ducked back from view, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"No need to apologize…" Leon responded, rubbing his forehead wearily. Narlafayn pursed her lips, recognizing Leon's attempt to cover up his annoyance by being moody. Sharmin stood next to him, trying to take in everything at once.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, moving close to Leon to peer into his face.

"What…" Leon asked uncertainly, leaning away from her. She glared at him for a few moments before turning towards Sharmin and leaning an elbow on Leon's armored shoulder.

"Has this guy always been so serious? I mean really." She began casually, ready to combat his moodiness with a distraction. "I've been traveling with him on and off for close to two years now and all he does is BROOD." She finished. Sharmin's expression turned from mildly annoyed to one of bewilderment, and Narlafayn inwardly winced. She hadn't meant to confuse her.

"Do we have to go over this with Sharmin too?" Leon winced. Narlafayn silently cursed to herself, annoyed with how quickly Leon picked up on what Narlafayn was going to say next, yet seemed oblivious when it came to people's feelings for him.

"Suck it up you ninny." She commanded, sticking her tongue out at him. She turned back to address Sharmin directly. "I keep telling him, he needs to find himself a good woman to get his stick out of the mud…" she paused in annoyance as Vuylay erupted into giggles on the ledge above them. "Anyway, you interested?" she finished, ignoring her friend.

"Interested…?" Sharmin echoed, uncertain. Narlafayn nodded enthusiastically and patted Leon on the top of his head.

"Yeah, to become his wife! I think that's the best thing he needs right now." She decided happily. Her grin grew wider as both Sharmin and Leon's faces turned identical shades of maroon in that moment.

"He's already got a good woman." Vuylay stated, matter-of-fact as she dropped gracefully from the ledge above. Narlafayn tsked bitterly and rolled her eyes.

"And who, pray tell, would that be?" she asked, glaring at her friend in annoyance.

"Me of course." Vuylay responded, placing one hand on her hip, inspecting the fingernails of the other and jutting out her chest. Sharmin recovered from her embarrassment quickly and she spun around to glare at Vuylay. Narlafayn sighed heavily and let her matchmaking act drop. It was no use with these people. No use at all…

Narlafayn walked through the woods surrounding the orphans home Sharmin and her sister Komugi lived in later on that evening. She sighed and stretched, thankful to have escaped the mass of children in the house. It reminded her of being back at the Pixie family's humble abode, and her nerves were on the verge of collapsing. It didn't help that Vuylay was feeling particularly catty that evening and had landed an acidic retort during a brief exchange between the two of them where it hurts the most.

"What does she know about getting a man?" Narlafayn grumbled to herself, glaring into the darkened trees. "I haven't seen her with anyone and she's a Dark Elf. What's her excuse?" She rounded a tree and yelped as Koyori came into view. "Oh geez, don't startle me like that!" Narlafayn exclaimed.

"Shh!" Koyori hissed, holding a finger up to her lips, then turned back to watching something behind Narlafayn's head.

"What are we looking at?" Narlafayn whispered, peering around Koyori's shoulder. Ahead, in the yard in front of the house stood Sharmin with Gatz hugging her from behind. "Don't you people have anything better to do than to spy on Sharmin?" Narlafayn asked the black haired girl bitterly.

"Who does she think she is, moving in on him like that?" Koyori asked aloud, her voice bitter. Narlafayn raised an eyebrow at her.

"It looks like he's doing the moving in on her, if you ask me." She responded. Koyori shot her an angry look before returning her attention to the pair.

"Well I didn't ask you, so there." She said in a snotty tone. She let out an angry noise that sounded like a mixture of a pig squeal and a cat yowl as Gatz turned Sharmin's head to kiss her.

"Lots of love in the air." Narlafayn said flatly, trying not to think about what she saw in Gludio previously.

"Ooh, he's leaving, now's my chance!" Koyori exclaimed, moving away from her hiding spot and dashing to another tree. Sure enough, Gatz had left Sharmin looking melancholy as he walked away from the house, a travel pack slung over one shoulder.

"Yeah… you go do that now…good luck or something…" she mumbled in the direction Koyori had disappeared. She sighed heavily and leaned against the tree, looking to the patch of sky visible through the leaves and playing with a lock of hair. The smell of a campfire wafted over to her as a light breeze blew and drew her attention away from her lonely thoughts. In the distance, in the center of one of the strange henges that dotted the island, a merry campfire crackled. Tilting her head curiously, Narlafayn pushed herself from the tree and wandered closer, wondering who it could be camping outdoors. As she drew nearer, she noticed the stone structures had begun to shine with an ethereal green light, similar to a firefly's glow. Her eyes widened as a figure stood up from where they were seated in front of the fire, and stepped into the flames. She rushed forward with a gasp, only to feel a firm hand close around her arm and halt her.

"Shh, don't interrupt." Tex's voice came, pulling her back a few steps. Narlafayn looked up at him in surprise, her mouth open slightly. "If you break their concentration, it might not work." He whispered, nodding slightly towards the fire. Narlafayn followed his gaze and gasped softly again, finding that November had been the one to walk into the fire, and stepped around among the burning branches, unscathed. She was naked, but the flames did well to hide her body from view.

"What's going on?" she whispered back to Tex. He gave her his token lopsided grin and wrapped an arm across her chest, forcing her to lean her back against him.

"I'll explain later, she's about to begin." He responded, leaning his chin on top of Narlafayn's head. From behind a stone at the north side of the henge ring stepped Glarawen. Narlafayn's mouth parted in awe once again at the way the Elder shone in ethereal beauty. She wore a long, off the shoulder dress that shimmered like fairy dust in the moonlight. Strung crystal and beads adorned her head in a beautiful sort of circlet, and draped down over her ears and down the back of her head. Her dress slit up both sides, revealing a filmy, see-through underskirt that was just as long as the top. She was barefoot, and stepped gracefully; the perfect picture of an Elf of Light.

November turned to face her in the fire, still not noticing Narlafayn's presence, and watched Glarawen kneel before the dancing flames without expression. Glarawen crossed her arms over her chest and bowed her head, the crystals dangling at her temples clinking against each other and making a delicate chiming noise.

"Im tolth le, a faer-o lach…" Glarawen began. Narlafayn did not know what language she was speaking in, but it tugged something inside of her. She suddenly felt like shedding her armor and dancing through the moonlight. "…last-na nin tyerme…" she continued, her eyes shut in concentration. The campfire suddenly exploded with light, which engulfed all of November. The flames turned the same green as the henges glow, and surrounded the elf in a strange, fiery egg shape. Strange shaped spirits suddenly emerged from the ground and ran flat along the grass to collect around the strange fire-egg. Featureless, flat bodies stood and began dancing in a circle around the fire, and Glarawen. The tug within Narlafayn grew stronger, and she pulled away from Tex, her eyes wide and staring. The strange words Glarawen continued to utter was calling forth something from deep within her psyche…

_ A peaceful summer's day, all is quiet. Narlafayn found herself sitting under a tall tree, staring up into the branches. A bird landed on her head and peered into her face curiously, tilting its head. _

Back in reality, Narlafayn's eyelids fluttered, and Glarawen's words began to fade into a humming song.

_ Beautiful faced, tall beings cried out in horror and fright as the land around them exploded. Narlafayn felt a wrench of pity for them, but could not stop herself from carrying out her master's orders._

She swayed slightly and raised a hand to her forehead, the scenes making her dizzy

_ She found herself laying amongst flames once again, sobbing like a child. A beautiful, pale-skinned woman with black hair leaned down over her, strands of her straight hair falling over her shoulders in her movement. _

_ "Would you like a life of your own?" the woman asked, a dark, bemused smile upon her face. _

_ YES! Narlafayn tried to shout with all of her might, but her voice would not come. The woman chuckled darkly and withdrew from her sight as the fire began to consume her. She screamed in pain and tried to struggle, but she found she could not move, only stare to the darkness above her as her vision faded…_

"You ok?" Tex asked, his worried face meeting her vision. Narlafayn winced and blinked hard, waiting for her eyes to focus. She found she was half lying on the ground, her shoulders being held up by Tex, who knelt beside her. She pressed her palm against her forehead, her mind still reeling.

"I think so…" she managed to get out as Tex helped her sit fully. She lowered her hand to the scene in front of her, which hadn't changed in the short time she was out.

The strange, shapeless spirits continued to dance around the campfire, which covered November protectively. Glarawen was still kneeling, but she looked strained, as if communing with whatever ancient spirits she had summoned was taking a lot out of her. Narlafayn and Tex stood once more as a strange, white magic circle appeared, the campfire at its center. It rotated slowly in the opposite direction of the dancing spirits, runes flaring to life between the circle's lines.

Without warning, Glarawen's head suddenly snapped up, and with her movement the flame-egg around November dispersed, sending a shockwave of wind out over the grass and blowing Tex and Narlafayn's hair backwards. Narlafayn shielded herself from the blast, her eyes watering from the sudden onslaught of air. She lowered her arm as it passed, and blinked in surprise as little green lights suddenly began to fall from the sky like ethereal snow.

Back at the orphan's home, Vuylay emerged from the house, curiously looking for her absent friend. She looked to the sky in wonder, the strange lights falling even there.  
"WOW!" a child suddenly gasped behind her. There was the sound of stampeding feet, and Vuylay found herself pushed aside as the children raced out to play in the strange springtime snow. Komugi emerged from a shed with a boy and stared at the sky in wonder. She held out a hand to catch a 'snowflake', the light popping like a bubble

Narlafayn shared the same expression of wonder as the rest as she stared into the sky. She shut her eyes as the lights showered down around her, suddenly feeling at ease with the world. Her attention was drawn as Glarawen stood up slowly and held a hand out to November as she stepped from the now dead fire. November opened her eyes slowly and raised her hands and looked at them, as if she'd never seen them before. Her face began to contort into one of sadness as she inspected the rest of her body, searching for something that was obviously not there.

"Nov…" Glarawen's voice came soft, and full of sadness as November sank to the grass.

"Dammit!" November shouted, slamming a fist onto the ground. Glarawen put her hands on November's shoulders and pulled her close in a protective embrace. November buried her head on Glarawen's lap, and Narlafayn could hear her sobbing.

"Let's leave them be for a bit." Tex murmured, taking Narlafayn gently by the wrist and leading her away from the henge. He led her towards the Elven Ruins, and they sat on one of the toppled pillars blocking the entrance. Narlafayn kicked her legs and stared to the sky, frowning as the lit fire wells gracing the doorway made it hard to see the stars above them. Tex scooted next to her and lazily draped his arm across her shoulders. Narlafayn tensed slightly, but let it remain there, grateful for the attention.

"What were they doing? I've never seen anything like that before." She asked Tex in a hushed voice, almost afraid to talk in the stillness of the night air.

"I can't say…" Tex responded lazily. He absent-mindedly played with a lock of Narlafayn's hair and leaned back to stare at the sky.

"You don't know?" she questioned, turning slightly to look at him. Tex chuckled low in his throat, then yawned.

"Oh I know all right, but it looks like it didn't work." He said, mid-yawn. "Poor Nov…he's been through a lot." Tex murmured.

"He?" Narlafayn questioned this time, recalling Glarawen's slip of the tongue earlier. Tex shrugged lightly, but didn't respond. They were silent for a bit, listening to the wind rustle through the trees, when Narlafayn suddenly felt him watching her. She turned to glance at him again, and they stared at one another for a moment. Tex shifted and leaned towards her, gently drawing her face close to his. _Maybe I'll be with him for a little while… _she thought, shutting her eyes.

"So this is where you went, Tex." November's voice came. Tex froze and drew away quickly, pushing himself off of the pillar and clearing his throat.

"Oooh, are we interrupting anything?" Glarawen asked, peering around November. She had dressed back in her brown and white robes, looking as she always did. "Narla~ did you follow us here to be with Tex?" Glarawen teased.

"Nope, not interrupting anything." Tex said quickly, his ears pink. Narlafayn stared hard at the ground, ashamed of herself for considering rebounding with Tex. Her heart was still very much attached to Deathswalker despite what she'd seen, Tex was no more than a slight attraction, in the end. She felt comfortable in his presence, but it echoed the same feeling she had with Leon.

"I came here with Leon; we're just visiting for a little while." Narlafayn spoke up, pushing herself off of the pillar. Glarawen darted forward to hug her tightly, beaming brightly. Narlafayn noticed that she was not as hyper cheerful as she normally was, and her heart went out to her.

"We have to get back to the mainland tonight, want to walk with us for a little while?" Glarawen asked, linking arms with her. "I noticed you got some new armor, you look snazzy!" she complimented with a grin. They began a slow trek in the direction of the Village.

"I feel a little naked…" Narlafayn admitted, shifting uncomfortably in her metal bikini.

"I like it." Tex offered, giving a lopsided grin. Glarawen chuckled mischievously next to Narlafayn, and gave her a sly look.

"What brings you guys out to Talking Island?" Narlafayn asked, trying to change the subject. "Inaphase said you were somewhere around Aden, did you get that done already?" Glarawen tilted her head slightly and glanced towards the ground as if meekly dodging her question.

"Yeah, we're going to have to apologize to Ina for that. We kind of got distracted." November spoke up, saving Glarawen from responding. "Dear, it's getting late so we'd better just scroll it back to town from here." She added, glancing at the moon.

"Aww, but I want to visit with Narla." Glarawen pouted, clinging to Narlafayn's arm.

"I'll look you guys up when I'm back on the mainland, I'd like to go hunting with you sometime." Narlafayn said, stopping.

"Narlafayn!" Vuylay's voice came, drawing the small group's attention. "Are you leaving without me AGAIN?" she shouted, putting her hands on her hips.

"Hi Vuylay!" Glarawen called back, waving. She turned back to Narlafayn and grabbed her hands. "Ok, just so long as you keep your promise, ok?" she beamed. Narlafayn nodded and smiled, then stumbled as Glarawen latched onto her in another tight hug.

"See ya." Narlafayn said, squeezing Tex's shoulder and nodding to November as she turned and walked back towards Vuylay.

"She's matured." November commented, watching her leave.

"Yeah, it makes me kinda sad." Glarawen responded, her expression turning wistful.

"Like a mother bird watching her children leave the nest?" November asked with a smile, putting an arm around her lover. Glarawen nodded sullenly and lowered her head to wipe a tear from her eye.

"That armor really does look good on her." Tex said in a dreamy tone, breaking the nostalgic mood.

"Down boy." November commanded, grinning as she handed him a Gatekeeper scroll. They opened them in unison and there was a flash of light as the magic activated, and then they were gone.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

_In which Narlafayn mistakenly returns to Gludin and confronts a problem_

A week later, Narlafayn sat outside the orphan's home with Vuylay, Sharmin and Komugi, having breakfast. Aside from a bevy of excited children when she returned back from seeing Glarawen, November and Tex off, nobody had said anything more about the strange lights.

Vuylay had returned to her vain attempts at seducing Leon after realizing it made Sharmin feisty to see another woman with him. Narlafayn sighed and shoveled a bite of food into her mouth as Vuylay stood to greet Leon, who'd just come outside to wash up at the water basin near the fence. She shut her eyes she chewed, ignoring the voices around her as Vuylay began flirting with him.

_ I wonder how much longer we're going to be here_. She wondered to herself as she took another bite. _Not that I'm not enjoying myself, this was always a relaxing little island. It's like Leon's avoiding something by being here._ She sighed and took a drink before taking another bite. _Did he have some trouble with his clan? Speaking of which…_ Narlafayn turned slightly to glance at him, hoping he had his clan crest on his body at that moment. He was wearing only his trousers, and Narlafayn sighed again, disappointed. _…where have I seen that alliance crest before? I know I've seen it…_ Her mind wandered a bit, and she found herself mentally cycling through the clan crests she saw frequently. She returned to the time she visited with Damascus in Dion's Inn, trying to recall what crests she'd seen there. Her eyes snapped open as she remembered seeing Damascus' crest as he moved to take a drink from his mug. Narlafayn turned swiftly to look at Leon with large eyes. _Leon's in Conviction?_

"Good going 'Min!" Komugi's voice came, penetrating her thoughts. Narlafayn paused, her mouth open with her fork poised in front of it, as she glanced at the sisters.

"Did I miss something?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. Komugi looked at her with her eyelids half lowered in an annoyed expression.

"Leon's rubbing off on you, isn't he?" she asked, deadpan. Temper flaring, Narlafayn quickly brought her fork down, point first, into the table near Komugi's hand. The girl squeaked, shocked at the near-painful experience.

"I'm sorry; I thought I heard you say something unpleasant." Narlafayn seethed through clenched teeth, her hand still on the fork handle. "Would you care to repeat that?" she asked, glaring. Komugi shook her head rapidly, her eyes bulging out in fear. Pleased by her answer, Narlafayn gave her a sweet smile and stood to take the dishes in, taking care to leave the fork where it was lodged in the table.

As she lay in bed that night, she tried to digest her discovery from that morning. _Why would his clan join Conviction?_ She wondered, staring moodily at the darkened ceiling of the guest room she and Vuylay were set up in. Sharmin and Vuylay had returned late that afternoon without Leon, and Narlafayn wondered where he might have gone. She had spent the day talking with Komugi, but found it to be an awkward experience, as the girl wanted to know about Elfish lore; something Narlafayn still didn't know much about.

Below her, she heard the sound of a door shutting softly, and sat up to look out the square window next to her bed. Komugi tiptoed out of the house holding a boy's hand, and then proceeded to stand on her tip-toes to kiss him. A pin stabbed Narlafayn in her heart and she lay down heavily, trying to ignore the lonely feeling that suddenly sprung to life within her. She shut her eyes firmly and willed sleep to come, eager to be lost within her dreams.

They came quickly, and engulfed her within the strange bright world she had seen the last time she had visited Talking Island. Once again she found herself in a green forest, wearing the strange dress and feather-lined cape, one hand holding the handle of a bottle-laden cart. Somewhere, she thought she heard someone call her name, but the voice was muted, as if she were hearing it through water. She raised her head swiftly as an armored figure came walking down the forest path towards her. It was the green-haired Crusader from her dreams before, but she couldn't remember his name. As he approached her, smiling broadly, the image in front of her flickered, the Crusader and bright forest replaced with craggy, brown landscape, the sky dark and flashing with lightning. His smiling face was replaced with one of a black-haired Dark Elf scowling as he approached her, a large, demonic red sword gripped firmly between both hands.

"Narlafayn…" she heard him say, his voice still muted and distant despite how close he was to her. He chuckled as he approached and the scene flickered again to the Dark Elf. Narlafayn looked down at her hand and realized that it no longer held the wagon handle, instead it was gripped firmly around a golden blade that looked similar to the red one he held. Instead of the dress she wore black armor, which she inspected in wonder. Her head snapped up quickly as the Dark Elf halted, and shifted his sword until he had a firmer grip upon it. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart broke at the sight of him crouching down in challenge. A tear escaped her eye as she gripped the handle of her own sword and lifted a leg to propel herself forward. All sadness left her expression as she met him in the center of the craggy field, and was replaced with one of dark hatred as she swung her blade towards his torso. His sword met her first, and she sucked in a surprised breath, her eyes wide as the sword cut through her armor and met flesh.

Narlafayn sat up with a gasp, her hair sticking to her face in strands, her skin sticky with sweat. She panted a few times, trying to get her heart to calm down. "Just a dream…" she told herself. She held her breath as she heard movement in the hallway, and watched as Leon passed by her room hurriedly. She pushed herself from her bed and padded across the hardwood floor, eager to catch her friend. Vuylay was sound asleep in her bed, oblivious to Narlafayn's movements.

"What took you so long to get back?" Narlafayn asked, peering around the doorframe.

"I got contacted by my clan in town. There's trouble, so I have to head back to the mainland now." Leon said in a low voice, darting into a room to retrieve his travel pack. Narlafayn chewed the inside of her lip and glanced at Vuylay_. I'll only be gone for a few hours_. She assured herself, rushing to where she'd stowed her armor and travel pack. She was dressed in moments and met Leon in the hallway.

"I'll come with you." She said, slightly breathless from exertion.

"It's better if you didn't." Leon responded quickly, not looking at her as he descended the stairs. "I'm traveling by Gatekeeper this time, I'll be fine."

"I just want to escort you as far as the Village, isn't that ok?" she asked, frowning at him and placing her hands on her hips. He paused on the bottom step to glance up at her, his brow furrowing as he tried to read her intention.

"What about Vuylay?" he questioned. Narlafayn chewed her lip again then shrugged.

"I only plan on being gone for a few hours, just long enough to see you off. I don't think she'll wake up and freak out in that time frame." She said in a deciding tone. Leon sighed heavily and turned to continue on his way out of the house.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't try to stop you." He mumbled. Narlafayn's temper went up a notch, angry at the sudden distance he was placing between them. She felt as if he were treating her as if she were incapable of protecting herself. She followed him out of the house and towards the Henge that November's ritual had taken place in where they both opened a teleportation scroll to cover the several hour journey across the island. The Village was quiet save for noise filtering out from the Pub, and a heavy-set man wearing guard's armor slumped outside of the door, snoring loudly. They silently made their way to the church and roused the Gatekeeper, who had a room set up in the back of the sanctuary.

"Are you in Conviction?" Narlafayn finally found a moment to ask as the Gatekeeper was dressing in her room. Leon's visible eye widened and he looked at her, surprised. "Why didn't you tell me?" Narlafayn asked, hurt.

"I didn't want it to complicate things…I had no control over the choice to join up with them." Leon said sullenly, looking away from her. "It's best if you don't be seen with me after you get off of this Island though, I don't want you getting hurt by association. I know of the trouble between your alliance and mine." He shifted his pack on his shoulder as the Gatekeeper emerged, yawning.

"Why are you so protective now? Things have been fine!" she exclaimed, her feelings stinging.

"Narla…" Leon began, turning to face her fully. His blue eyes met her violet evenly; his authoritive look making her feel younger than him. "This is the price of being in a Clan. Your best friends become your enemies during war, and I don't want to see that. You've hurt enough since entering your clan, just please, take my advice for now. I'll see you again when this blows over, I promise." he finished, putting a heavy hand on her shoulder for a moment as he stepped past her and towards the Gatekeeper.

"Leon…" Narlafayn began, taking a step towards him. Leon paused as the Gatekeeper began her spell, and looked at her. "Be careful out there, you haven't grown up enough yet to die in battle." He gave her a half-smile as the Gatekeeper's spell took him away. Narlafayn sighed and smiled sadly to the empty air he'd once stood in, and turned.

"Have fun in Gludin!" the Gatekeeper said in a sleepy voice. Narlafayn whipped back around, her eyes wide.

"I didn't pay for a spell—" she attempted to say, but the spell hit her and she found herself back in the black dimensional space as she flew towards Gludin. She landed on her back, the air knocked from her lungs in a whoosh.

"Watch it!" a voice shouted roughly as someone barely avoided stepping on her. Narlafayn pushed herself up as quickly as she could, shocked to see Gludin crawling with people at that time of night. They ran in and out of the Clan Hall that neighbored hers- the clan hall for La Familia. Curious, Narlafayn wandered to the hall and peered in. Inaphase stood near the Hall Manager, trying to shout orders to people who couldn't seem to stand still. A party sat in the far corner of the hall, bloodied and injured. One lay still on a stretcher mat and had a white cloth over their face. A Shilen Elder in a blue bodice and white pants knelt in front of them, her eyes shut in concentration as she tried to heal. A pink-haired dwarf with her hair in pigtails looked up at Narlafayn wearily as she entered, one of her eyes covered in a patch.

"What's going on?" she asked aloud to no one in particular.

"Someone's been picking off our clan in the Necropolis of Sacrifice." The voice of Legooshka came. He sat lazily in the corner of the hall, the back of the chair tilted against the wood paneling. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you? Since you like to hang out with Conviction and all." He added acidicly.

"I've been on Talking Island, thank you." She responded in a hard tone.

"Narla!" Inaphase's voice shouted over the noise in the hall. He motioned her over and pulled her towards the opposite corner to speak to her better. "We've been sending tracking party after tracking party down to the Necropolis, but they keep coming back like that." He jerked his finger towards the unmoving person on the stretcher. "There's a party down their now, and they've gotten most of the people responsible save for one Assassin, and they need a tank before they can take him on. Do you think you can do it?" Narlafayn stared at him with wide eyes, not sure she was hearing him right.

"You want me to assist in a party to go kill someone?" she asked, her voice tiny.

"Yes, it's not without just cause though, this guy has been killing our Clan for months now, he needs to be taken out." Inaphase stated impatiently. "Will you do it or not?" Narlafayn swallowed hard and glanced quickly towards Legooshka, whom still glared at her.

"Alright." She promised.

"Hey Panties-Lady, where ya goin'?" Junk Pixie's voice came over the shouts and conversation in Gludin's square. Narlafayn paused at the stairs leading down into the business half of Gludin to look at Junk Pixie in surprise.

"I didn't know you were here." She said as the Dwarf caught up with her. Narlafayn blinked in wonder as the young girl was already decked out in Blast Plate armor, a rare and usually expensive set of protection, and carried a new mace. "It took me several weeks to travel here on foot, how did you manage to get here so quickly?" she asked curiously. Junk Pixie gave her a thumb up and giggled.

"Everything's easy peasy when you gots the shinies!" she said jovially. Narlafayn's eyes dotted as Junk Pixie pulled a heavy money sack from her travel pack. "I told ya money grows on trees!" she said, shaking the bag to make the coins jingle. "Where ya goin?" she asked curiously a moment later.

"To the Necropolis of Sacrifice on the southern tip." She responded, walking towards the southern gate. "It's Clan business." She added when Junk Pixie turned a hopeful look on her.

"Silly Panties-Lady, why would you walk there? That's a long way, you'll be walking for months!" she giggled. "Come with me!" She spun on the tip-toe of one foot and pranced back towards the stairs, Narlafayn following with her face tinted pink. Of course she couldn't walk to the Necropolis, what had she been thinking? _Probably trying to avoid what I think I'm going to find there._ She thought grimly. She was led to the slow-speaking Gatekeeper at the top of the stairs leading to the church, who smiled at Junk Pixie dreamily. "Two to the Langk Lizardman Dwelling!" the Dwarf exclaimed happily.

"Oh, such a dangerous place for such a small little dear!" the Gatekeeper stated slowly, her hand creeping forward, palm up. Junk Pixie dropped the money into her palm and latched onto Narlafayn's arm.

"That's ok; Panties-Lady has a biiiig shield and a biiiig sword!" Junk Pixie giggled. "She can take on seven monsters at once!" she added, looking at Narlafayn with shining eyes. Narlafayn gave her a nervous smile as the Gatekeeper began casting her spell. Once again she was flying through dimensional space, and landed on her knees on the dirt path passing through the Langk Lizardman Dwelling.

Fences made of sharpened, bleached bone lined the path, and Narlafayn grimaced, trying not to imagine what kind of bones it was made from. Junk Pixie pranced on ahead of her, and Narlafayn could see the outline of the strange pillars set in a square shape over the entrance to the Necropolis.

Necropolises were relics from a time long past, when the Revolutionaries of Dusk and Lords of Dawn would fight each other for control over the seals that would release Shilen. According to Lavinia, Narlafayn had learned the Cabals had been silent for hundreds of years, sealed away by the long dead Emperor of Elmoreden, Shunaiman, but were recently re-opened by forces unknown to the world. Adventurers found themselves joining either the side to awaken Shilen or the side to keep her imprisoned and fought battles within the Necropolises and Catacombs once home to the cabals of old. Usually the two would remain separated, each fighting the demons and undead left behind from the previous war, but occasionally they would clash, forming a fierce battle that was difficult to escape from in the underground labyrinths.

Narlafayn herself had never been in one of the Necropolises yet, and found herself reconsidering carrying out the task that Inaphase had given her as they neared the pillars. She stood at the edge of the cross-shaped pool that sat beneath the angled ceiling held up by the pillars. The water was a brilliant blue, and lapped happily along the grey stone set around the pool.

"Hope you can hold your breath a long time Panties-Lady!" Junk Pixie exclaimed as she secured her moneybag into her travel pack tightly. She took a loud breath of air and then held her fingers over her nose as she took a mighty leap into the water. Narlafayn peered into the pool and watched the Dwarf as she disappeared past where the light would reach and into the unknown black depths. She glanced around herself worriedly before shaking her head and stepping into the pool. A short ramp took her into the water up to her thighs before ending in a sheer drop off. Narlafayn hooked her shield onto her back and tied her travel pack to it before taking a breath and elegantly diving in without so much as a ripple.

The water got colder as she went down and began to make her muscles ache as she tried to swim. The well of water seemed to go forever, until she found an opening in the stone wall leading inside. There was air in here, and she broke the surface with a soft gasp. Treading water for a moment she looked around herself in wonder, the water ending at a stone platform which led to a strange gate. In front of the gate stood Junk Pixie, who was happily chatting to a strange glowing orb. Hanging oil lamps swayed slightly in a breeze that blew from deep within the Necropolis, causing the blue flame burning within it to flicker. Narlafayn swam towards the ramp and pulled herself from the water, struggling for a moment until her armor emptied of water.

"And then there's my brother Spore. Mama named him that because she was thinking of cooking mushrooms for dinner the night he was born. After him is Shana. Shana's taller than us and kind of human, but we let her think she's a Dwarf. It's cute." Junk Pixie rambled to no one. Narlafayn approached her, glancing around to see if she were missing a presence.

"Who are you talking to?" she asked, wringing out her hair.

"Mister Ziggurat here." Junk Pixie answered honestly, motioning to the orb.

"That's silly, that's not alive." Narlafayn smiled, patting the girl on her head.

"Rude whelp, I may not be alive now…" the Ziggurat answered in a deep voice. Narlafayn leapt backwards and stared at it with large eyes. "To atone for my sins I am forced to stay here and open the gates for idiots like you whom think you can make a difference in the fight versus the darkness." It stated bitterly. Narlafayn said nothing and continued to stare. "Do you wish to pass or not?" it asked impatiently. Narlafayn nodded slightly, and the Ziggurat rotated, the heavy iron gates in front of them swinging outward to grant them passage. Narlafayn took a breath, squared her shoulders, and marched inside.

She and Junk Pixie traveled through the various rooms and passages that interlocked together, sometimes fighting aggressive demons of the past, most times proceeding with silent caution. In a quiet, empty room somewhere ahead of them, a dark figure sat on his knees, his hands poised in front of him in meditation. He lifted his head slightly as he heard a noise, his eyes focusing. After listening for a moment, he stood slowly, pulling a bloodied dagger from the floor, the metal scraping against the stone, echoing off the walls.

As Narlafayn entered a passageway after killing a Succubus-like demon, she found a member of her clan, someone she'd never met, lying on his side, wincing. He had been beaten and had a stab wound to his side, and was still bleeding profusely. "Are you alright?" she asked urgently, holding him up. "Pixie, can you get into my bag and give me a healing potion?" she asked hurriedly.

"Okey dokey!" she said, surprisingly cheerful despite the fact a man was bleeding to death in front of her. "Why would he waste that much ketchup though? Mama Pixie always says that wasting food is next to spitting on someone's hand and rubbing it in their neighbor's money." She stated, matter-of-fact as she handed Narlafayn the bottle of red liquid. Ignoring her friend's quirks for now, Narlafayn tore the stopper from the bottle with her teeth and held it to the man's mouth.

"Drink." She commanded him gently after spitting the cork out. He gasped and swallowed, the blood from his wounded nose draining down his throat. He grabbed the arm that held the potion, jostling it and spilling the precious healing liquid all over his chest.

"Red…" he gasped, his eyes wide. He swallowed, and then choked, blood filling his mouth. "Red…b…band…" He tensed for a moment, and his breath halted as if he was holding it, and then suddenly he fell limp. Narlafayn winced and held back her sad expression as she gently laid him back down and shut his eyes.

"Hmm…" Junk Pixie grunted as she thought. She put a finger to her chin and tapped it. "Red…band-aid?" she guessed.

"Red bandanna." Narlafayn corrected her in a muted voice. "I know exactly who's doing this." She said darkly, standing slowly. Her face set in a scowl of hatred, Narlafayn left her clansman where he lay and continued on her way into the Necropolis.

Narlafayn entered a large room and halted, one hand gripping her sword sheath. The room was strangely devoid of demons or monsters, and blood stained the ground in large pools. The only sound in the room was that of the lamps which creaked as they swung roughly on the posts they dangled from. There was a shuffle and Narlafayn drew in a quick breath as her ears perked with the noise. She drew her sword in one movement and spun around, her sword meeting a dagger blade with a shower of sparks. It locked against the dagger's hilt, preventing it from continuing onward in its path to stab her. Her arm shook with exertion as she resisted, and she glared up at her would-be attacker.

"Narlafayn?" Deathswalker stated, not masking his bewilderment. "What are you doing down here?" Narlafayn did not respond, and instead pushed against his dagger, deflecting it and taking a swipe at him. Deathswalker jumped backwards, dodging it. "Silly girl, did you miss me?" he asked suavely. Narlafayn bared her teeth in a feral expression and let out a growling grunt as she swung at him again. She nicked his armor, earning a surprised noise from him. "Hey now, people are going to think you're serious if you keep that up." Deathswalker exclaimed.

"How do you know I'm NOT serious?" she snarled, hatred mixing with her temper. She stabbed at him with all of her might, but he dodged it and locked his arm around hers, sliding around and pinning her arm behind her back. He squeezed her it until she released her sword, which dropped to the ground with a clatter.

"Foolish girl…" Deathswalker said in a husky voice, placing his dagger against her neck. "Don't you know you're a hundred years too young to be challenging me?" He rolled the dagger against her flesh, as if imagining the blood spilling over it. He slid it across her skin, the feel of it leaving an icy trail as he backed away, releasing her arm. "Go home Narla, go home and play justice games with the other weak people in your clan. This is a big person's battle, no place for a child to be." He sheathed his dagger at his waist and turned away from her.

"Is that what you see me as? A simple child for you to order around?" Narlafayn demanded, facing him. Deathswalker glanced at her over his shoulder briefly and smirked.

"Surely you don't think you're an adult yet, don't make me laugh. Unlike what common folk would believe, sex does not make a girl an adult, it just makes her a whore." He said in a haughty voice. Narlafayn clenched her fists, shaking with anger.

"Hey Panties-Lady, check out this armor I found on this big demon thing that looked like a flying Gremlin!" Junk Pixie's cheerful voice came as she skipped into the room.

"GET OUT!" Narlafayn shouted as Deathswalker drew his dagger and darted towards the Dwarf. Finding no time to grab her sword, Narlafayn removed her heavy Hopolon shield and chucked it at the Dark Elf's head. It clanged as it hit the back of his neck, laying him flat at Junk Pixie's feet. She launched herself at his prone figure and put a knee on the small of his back, then twisted his sword arm behind him, mimicking his pin on her earlier. "Use a scroll and get out! Find someone from my clan back in Gludin and let them know where we are, hurry!" Narlafayn insisted, prying the dagger from Deathswalker's fingers.

"But…" Junk Pixie mumbled, pouting like a scolded child. She clearly did not understand the depth of the current situation.

"Hurry!" Narlafayn hissed. Junk Pixie pouted for another second before taking the scroll from her pack and opening it. She disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Narlafayn to restrain the Assassin alone.

"You're really starting to piss me off…" Deathswalker slurred as he regained his senses. He attempted to push himself up, but Narlafayn pressed down, putting pressure on a nerve at the small of his back and causing him to lay back down with a yelp of pain. "Dammit Narla, knock it off!" he warned loudly.

"Why should I? So you can seduce me again just to use me to pick off my clan?" she snarled, pushing his arm against his back harder. He tensed under her knee before sighing heavily.

"So you found out about that, huh? Who told you?" he asked in a regretful tone, as if she were no more than finding out that he'd lied about paying a bill.

"You did, ass. I caught you in Gludio with another girl. You make it a habit to cheat on people you're with?" she growled. Deathswalker surprised her by letting out a loud, yet short burst of laughter.

"Cheat on people I'm with? What kind of person do you think I am? All of my lovers are quite aware of the other and are just fine with it." He said, amused. He tensed slightly as if to push himself up again and Narlafayn pressed down, only to have him pull the arm she pinned away from his body roughly, taking her with it and slamming her on the floor. He pinned her arms to the cold stone and hovered over her, a lustfully dark smirk on his face. "Don't tell me you thought WE were together after that ONE time…" he gloated. Narlafayn struggled against his grip, but he weighed more than her, and used it to his advantage.

"Isn't that what usually happens when people do things such as that?" she spat, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes. The laugh that erupted from Deathswalker after that only further increased her frustration.

"Damascus told me you were naive, but I never realized the extent of it." He said, his voice still wavering in amusement. He shut his eyes, the smile not leaving his face. "Maybe in a perfect world that's not this world, yes people do end up together with just one night of passion." He opened his eyes, the dark smirk returning. "Let me let you in on a little secret…" he lowered himself towards her face, and she turned away from him, her eyes firmly shut. "…Dark Elves live for passion. It's our sustenance. The passion from one person becomes boring after awhile. Besides, There are less Dark Elves in the world than there is any other race, why deprive them of our beauty, our strength…" he licked her earlobe and traced the length of the underside of her ear with his tongue. "…our sensuality…" Narlafayn winced, hating how he was still managing to turn her on despite what had happened. "Besides…" he said in a more normal tone of voice, pulling away from her face slightly. Narlafayn glanced at him without turning back to face him. "…you've intrigued me. I can't say you were exactly a decent lay, but your perseverance to kill me is sort of a turn-on. How about you become my eighth lover? I don't have anyone to visit in Gludin yet, so it gets lonely while I'm there…"

Narlafayn's head whipped back around to look at him, her face contorted into hateful horror. Without a word she lifted her knee and slammed it into his groin. He groaned loudly and toppled off of her, rolling onto his side with his hands between his legs.

"There's your answer you piece of Bugbear shit!" she snarled. She turned away from him to grab her sword, her eyes widening as she suddenly felt one of his arms go around her waist, the other around her chest.

"Sorry, but I can't allow you to kill me just yet." He said in a low voice in her ear. "Save that anger for me next time…I'll be sure to find you." He kissed her neck and Narlafayn gasped as she felt a strange draining feeling surge through her body. The room swam before her eyes which rolled up into her head as his Life Draining spell took effect, rendering her unconscious.

Narlafayn woke again in what felt like moments, to find Inaphase, Mad Midget and Junk Pixie staring down at her. "Where is he?" Inaphase demanded as she sat up.

"I'm…not sure…" she admitted, blinking as her head spun. Inaphase groaned in frustration and stood up, hands on the sides of his head. "I'm sorry…I tried…" she attempted to apologize. Inaphase held a hand up to silence her, and walked across the room towards a set of clan mates who were kneeling around a line of bodies.

"It's not your fault; he was probably too strong for you anyway." Inaphase said in a controlled voice. Narlafayn felt a sting from his words, guilty that she was unable to fight properly yet.

"You were brave to try though, I give you credit for that." Mad Midget said as Inaphase walked away. "Don't stress over it, we'll get him. Just be glad you survived." He patted her on the head before waddling over to his Clan leader, and listened as he spoke to the Dark Elf healer crouching over one of the bodies.

"I'm sorry Panties-Lady; I tried to get here on time." Junk Pixie said tearfully, placing her tiny hands over Narlafayn's. Narlafayn gave her a weak smile and patted her on top of her head.

"Its ok kiddo, I know you did." She sighed. She pushed herself to her feet slowly and searched the floor for her sword.

"Are you going to be all right?" she asked curiously, the tears gone from her voice. Narlafayn sighed again as she picked her sword up and sheathed it.

"I think my fascination with Dark Elves is through though." She said gloomily. "I don't ever want to fall for one; I don't even want to be touched by one in passing, ever again."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

_In which Narlafayn attends a wedding and reflects upon the past_

A beautiful woman, her skin fair and her hair nearly touching the floor and an angelic white moved silently down the silver marbled hallways of her mansion. She wore a filmy gown, the details of her body clearly seen beneath it. She stepped gracefully, as if she were made of light and clouds, towards a darkened room at the end of the corridor. She entered without knocking, and glided over to the bed upon which her husband lay. Gingerly she knelt upon the plush mattress, and slid up the silken sheets to peer down at his sleeping face. Beautiful was he now, but she knew at any moment he could drop the guise and show his true form. Tilting her head she lifted a hand and brushed a lock of black hair from his face.

"Why are you in my chambers?" Came his voice. He cracked open one eye to watch her, a slight frown drawing his eyebrows down.

"Do I need an excuse to visit the bed of my husband?" she asked in a sultry voice. The man, who was the god we know as Gran Kain, sighed and rolled over, dismissing her by showing his back.

"I'm not in the mood for your games tonight, Einhasad." Gran Kain said, shutting his eyes as he attempted to return to slumber. The angelic beauty left Einhasad's features and was replaced by one of hostile jealousy.

"So you once again visit our daughter and satisfy yourself with her, is that it?" she snapped, gripping his bed sheets.

"I have no desire to repeat that mistake." He answered lightly, not looking at her.

"So you have no desire for me, your wife, anymore then, is that it?" she demanded, pulling on his shoulder to urge him to look at her. He rolled back slightly with it to stare at her through half-shut eyes, frowning again. "You have not visited my bed since my darling Anakim was taken from me, do you not desire me any longer?" she asked, trying to pout prettily like she had seen Shilen do once.

"On the contrary, I don't desire any more children as ours are hard to control as it is." He responded, lifting his eyebrows. Einhasad released his shoulder with a noise of disgust and folded her arms across her chest to pout. Although older than creation, Einhasad resembled young, innocent woman. The sight of her pouting, wearing next to nothing, would drive most men to move mountains. For Gran Kain however, it was just Einhasad throwing another tantrum and did nothing more than irritate him.

"There's nothing wrong with creating more children." She grumbled, her pride as being the mother of all creation showing through.

"So you say, Goddess of Life. We have one daughter trying to kill us, we have a son who wants me dead so he can have my realm, another son who thinks more with his manhood than with his brain, one daughter who regressed back to a childlike state and another who seems to house two very different people in one body. I think we've had enough." He listed, rolling back over and shutting his eyes.

"If that cursed daughter of ours hadn't seduced you then she wouldn't have been banished." Einhasad stated firmly, as if repeating it once every century helped her conscience justify it. Gran Kain sighed heavily and rolled over to look at her again.

"Einhasad, what did you come in here for? I know it wasn't to bed me, as you seem to amuse yourself just fine with the holy men of the earth and your own angelic creations enough to satisfy you. Weren't you the one who told me that it'd be a millennia before you bedded me after what happened with Shilen?" he asked, seeing through his wife's seduction act. One thing Einhasad never was and never would be was a good actress. Her pride and temper never allowed for her to pull off a very convincing ploy. Einhasad crawled across the bed to where he lay and hovered over him, staring down at him through half shut lids. Wings slowly emerged from her back and wrapped over her head, creating a tent over the two as if to shut out any listeners.

"Where did your hammer go, my husband? It was not where I put it last." Her voice was low, and threatening. Gran Kain opened his eyes with a snap and stared out across his bed, knowing that if he answered wrong, her wrath would be terrifying to behold. Einhasad waited a moment for him to answer, her eyes squinting as she began to glare. "You brought it back, didn't you." She growled, light suddenly emanating from her skin and burning the God of Darkness' eyes. Her true form naturally repelled his, her light being the one thing that could maim him.

He did not respond to her question, and instead shut his eyes, remaining that way until she slid from his bed, growling in frustration. _I must move quickly._ He thought to himself, opening his eyes again when the light faded. _Time is of the essence, the end must come!_

Narlafayn sat on a bog farmer's cart as it rattled down the path leading around the east coast of Innadril Territory towards Heine. She'd been traveling with the bog farmer for nearly a month as he ventured from Giran to his home near Heine. The journey had been pleasant; the farmer was an aged man with a grizzled face and shaggy black hair whom talked fondly of his niece and her family.

Not long after returning to Gludin after the incident in the Necropolis, Narlafayn received a letter from Glarawen saying her and November were on their way to Heine, where they were going to be married. A Dwarf named Kirara was the current Lord of Innadril Territory, and a close friend of Inaphase's, and had granted them usage of her castle for the wedding. The decided date was two months away from the day she'd received the letter, but Narlafayn knew that it would take her that long to get to Heine with her current funds. Guilt suddenly gnawed at her insides as she stood in front of the Gatekeeper. Narlafayn jogged back to the Clan Hall for parchment and jotted a quick letter to Vuylay. After giving it to the wharf manager to send on that evening's boat back to Talking Island she shouldered her pack and returned to the Gatekeeper. After arriving in Gludio she walked once again to Dion and from there bought another Gatekeeper spell to Giran.

Giran was a crowded city, the merchants so thick she could barely move without stepping on one or their wares. Any normal day she would've been eager to explore the expanse of the city, but not this time. After selling some items she picked up off of beasts outside of Dion for some extra money, Narlafayn found the bog merchant and paid him for an easier passage to Heine. Now the city was in sight, and Narlafayn felt adrenaline surge through her body. She stood up on her knees in the cart, holding on to the side and staring over the Field of Whispers at it.

"Never seen the city before?" the bog farmer chuckled, smiling at her. She didn't answer him; her breath was too caught in her throat at the beauty of the floating city.

The buildings were a perfect combination of elf and human architecture; the stones the city was built from were marbled white. The roofs on all of the buildings were a beautiful lagoon blue, and a gold color shimmered throughout the entire place. There were small patches of rainbows floating over the city due to the small waterfalls flowing within it, and a lighthouse shone out over the ocean.

Narlafayn jumped from the cart before he pulled to a stop and quickly gave the farmer the rest of his payment and bid him a hasty farewell, too excited to thank him any more than that. He laughed heartily as she darted away, amused by her childish reaction. Narlafayn raced over the white and blue suspension bridge, eager for her first sight of the city from the inside.

It was strangely quiet within Heine, the people there not as noisy or boisterous as they were in the other cities. There were lovers speckled throughout the city, leaning on one another and holding hands as they strolled through the streets or were ferried around in the gondolas. Fountains were present throughout the entire city, and were the cause for the floating rainbows Narlafayn had seen from afar.

The citizens of the city were beautiful; all said to be the half-breed children of the elves and humans that had first settled in the territory. Narlafayn stood in the square of the city, in front of the grand fountain that poured into channels leading back into the ocean, and spun slowly, trying to take everything in. This place gave her a different kind of wistful feeling than the Elven Forest had, and she suddenly felt very plain and uncultured compared to everyone else there. There was still a day before Glarawen's wedding, and Narlafayn darted off eagerly to begin exploring.

A girl with illustrious blonde hair that floated around her head in waves peered around a fountain set in front of the Temple of Eva to watch Narlafayn as she ran around like an eager child. She smiled brightly, happy to see someone so excited to take in her favorite city. She stepped around the fountain lightly, her toes barely touching the water pouring out of it, wanting to follow this new person and learn about her. She was an elf, and had a nice aura, two things that she enjoyed the most.

She inhaled a sharp, gasping breath and halted quickly, her hair floating forward as if it were seaweed being pushed by a current. _No, not her!_ Another voice said in her mind. _She'll kill you, stay away!_ It shouted. The girl began to tremble in fear, as the other voice told her of horrible, nasty things that the new person could do to her if she got too close.

"Help me…" she pleaded to no one. Her voice went unheard, as people can not hear the voices of gods when they are invisible. Large tears welled up in her eyes and began to roll down her cheeks. "She'll kill me soon, please! Somebody!" she said louder with a sob. She fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands. "Hurry, please…" she sniffled weakly. And thus the goddess Eva, for the first time since she was given the task of controlling the Waters of the world, felt a great fear.

Narlafayn emerged from a boarding house the next morning, shielding herself from the intense sunlight bearing down on her. She hadn't seen anyone from her Clan yet, and wondered if she had gotten the date wrong for the wedding.

"Hey there sexy lady, going my way?" Tex's voice came. Narlafayn lowered her hand with a grin as Tex; his silver armor polished and gleaming heroically in the morning light, strutted over to her.

"I was wondering when I'd see someone familiar." Narlafayn responded as he gave her a friendly hug.

"Yeah, we got here late last night. Glarawen and November were so nervous that they spent all day yesterday hunting in Dragon Valley that they lost track of time." His voice was as lazy and laid-back as always, and Narlafayn found it comforting.

"Where is everyone now?" she asked, standing on her tip-toes to peer around him for more Clan mates.

"They're all up at the castle, wanna head up?" he asked, offering her his arm as if he were escorting a princess. Narlafayn giggled and took it in an elegant fashion. They walked with their noses in the air, mimicking many of the townsfolk around them, not caring about the offended glares they received. Tex doubled over as they neared the north gate and began making choked noises. "Man, how do they walk like that? I got a bug up there…" he said, trying to hock the offending critter from his sinuses. Narlafayn laughed again, and patted him on the back as he began to cough.

The trek to the castle was several hours long, but the time passed quickly in Tex's company. Narlafayn couldn't remember when she'd laughed so much, and greatly enjoyed the beautiful tropical scenery around her. She paused in the castle's courtyard, staring at the stone-walled fortress in silent wonder, and then followed Tex as he led her through the gates. An inner castle sat inside, and as Narlafayn entered it she found herself suddenly in the middle of a chaotic surge of bodies that made Giran look empty. Narlafayn lost sight of Tex in the mass, and was pushed towards the side of the throne room as more people entered. Voices echoed off of the cathedral-like ceiling, and made Narlafayn want to press her hands over her ears to drown it out. She finally spied November standing near the throne, a crowd of clan mates all trying to talk to her at once.

"Nov!" Narlafayn attempted to shout as she tried to push towards her. The chaos was confusing her; she wasn't sure where she should stand as Glarawen's bridesmaid, or even if she were still Glarawen's bridesmaid. Where was Glarawen for that matter?

"When's this show going to start? I need to get back to hunting!" one person shouted at November.

"Can we watch you guys start your honeymoon?" another voice shouted. November had her eyes shut as she tried to compose herself against the mass of stupid questions that were being fired at her from every direction. Tex emerged from around a tapestry behind November, and clapped her on the shoulder.

"Where's Glarawen?" Narlafayn finally managed to shout as she was pushed towards the back of the crowd.

"Will you idiots stop asking me that?" November shouted, some of the voices around her silencing. The questions started anew a second later, and Narlafayn allowed herself to be pushed away. Pursing her lips she sighed, then moved around the crowd to find a spot to stand near the throne as she awaited Glarawen's arrival.

"Hey, you can't stand up there!" a black-haired Dwarf shouted from the balcony above the throne. "Only people in the wedding can stand up there, shoo!" She waved her hands as if Narlafayn were a cat.

"But I'm in the wedding…" Narlafayn tried to explain as the Dwarf bounded down the curving stairs towards her.

"I'm so sure, beat it or I'll throw you out!" she stated stubbornly, stomping a foot down. "Honestly, just because I open my castle to you La Familia people don't mean you can run everywhere." She grumbled, dusting off her throne before sitting on it. Feeling very dispirited, Narlafayn let herself give up and walked towards the doors, bumping into bodies as they roughly pushed past her.

"They say Glarawen got cold feet, she was supposed to be here an hour ago!" she heard someone say as she past them.

"Oh no, poor November! I always heard that Glarawen was flighty though!" another person responded.

"She's just probably nervous." Narlafayn mumbled, not bothering to identify who it was whom had spoken.

"Watch it, moron!" someone snarled at her as she accidentally ran into them. She was pushed, and lost her balance, crashing to her bottom.

"I've had enough." Narlafayn mumbled to herself, trying to blink back the tears that threatened to fall. Her previous good mood had long since evaporated, and she felt the sadness that she'd been keeping suppressed, returning in full clarity. She wandered out of the castle and sat on the far side of the outer courtyard, near a boulder. Drawing her legs up, she wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on her knees.

It was blessedly calm out in the courtyard, the voices from the castle were but a distant buzz. She shut her eyes and let the sounds of the ocean soothe her, and sighed. It was late afternoon, and a pleasantly cool breeze blew in from the water, cooling her off after being in the hot and crowded inner castle. Feeling nostalgic, she began to think about all of the people in her life, starting with the reason she was in Innadril that day; Glarawen.

Glarawen had been the first person she met the day she appeared in this world. She had mysteriously told her that she'd been expecting her; however she never once did tell Narlafayn how she knew she was coming. The Elder was graceful and cheerful, and very ladylike. Narlafayn felt like a clumsy, uncultured oaf in her presence, but Glarawen would always smile cheerfully at her, never once judging her for how she spoke or acted. It was true that she felt Glarawen purposefully left her behind, but at the same time she understood her reasons and was grateful for it. Many things had happened to her that she didn't want Glarawen to ever see, like the time she went to the Maille Lizardman Barracks with Vuylay and Celleriant. Narlafayn also knew she had no place to speak, as she left poor Vuylay behind just as often. Glarawen had introduced her to her first Dark Elf, a moment Narlafayn will always remember with both fondness and despair, as it lead to her fascination with them, which led to her current heartache.

Glarawen's marriage announcement to November had been a shock; she had thought for sure that the Elder would end up with Dasniall. It embarrassed her when she recalled those thoughts now, and she buried her face in her arms to hide her blushing cheeks. Glarawen always seemed to have something wise and mysterious to say to her when she felt down; she wished she could hear the Elder's healing words now.

Lavinia, Cesa and Mune were Narlafayn's first friends in the world besides Glarawen. The day Glarawen had brought her to them was still very clear in her memory. When she arrived in the world she had been naked, and Mune had almost chased her out, thinking her strange for 'streaking' around the village like a Dark Elf. Cesa had been the first to accept her without question, thinking the leaves stuck in her hair were a message from the mother tree to take care of her.

Narlafayn connected the most with Lavinia, her logic being the most pleasant to put up with in comparison to Cesa's constant obsession with trees and Mune's obsession with sharp and pointy objects. When Narlafayn began to study the sword, it was Mune who tutored her the most. The younger Elf had been a tyrant in her teaching, but Narlafayn appreciated how hard she had been on her now. Narlafayn hadn't seen any of the Elven sisters since leaving the forest nearly three years ago and she wondered how they were doing.

Vuylay had latched onto Narlafayn like a fungus from the moment she first met her, after trying to 'save' her from the Dwarf she thought was 'harming' her. The mistake still embarrassed her even now, and Narlafayn groaned softly to herself and buried her head in her arms. To make the sting worse, Vuylay had tried to seduce her, thinking that Narlafayn's reason for beating up her would-be lover was jealousy. Vuylay laughed about it now, but Narlafayn still tried to forget it had ever happened.

The Dark Elf was very much unlike other Dark Elves, according to people in the Dark Elven Village. Her mother had exuded strange behavior while pregnant with her, and Vuylay had a strange habit of complaining of sickness when she was not ill or injury when she was not injured. To top off her list of oddities according to Dark Elf belief, she never once took someone to bed, something nearly unheard of amongst the locals in the Village. After witnessing the cruelty Vuylay received when an episode of phantom injury had hit her, Narlafayn's heart had surged with such pity that she took the woman from the Village that instant.

Despite never sleeping with anyone, Vuylay was still a very brazen flirt, and never let a chance to flirt with a boy pass. Most of her subjects fled from her in fear, like Celleriant and Leon, but the rest she managed to carefully string along until she grew bored with them. When some attempted to further the flirting into the bedroom, Vuylay was always quick to put the brakes on, leaving the man heartbroken.

With that in mind, she wondered if that were the reason why she seemed so taken with Ryonai. The teen seemed absolutely unfazed by Dark Elven wiles; perhaps it was the challenge that intrigued her. There was also her strange, unexplained connection to Ryonai's girlfriend Shizuka. The two obviously knew each other from another time, but Vuylay never bothered to explain when or where. A little voice in the back of her mind threw out the wild idea that Vuylay's strange episodes of phantom illness and pain where connected the bubble-brained, pink-haired Light Elf somehow. Her eyes squinted into narrow lines as she tried not to think about how angry Vuylay must be with her right now.

Damascus came next in her mind, and Narlafayn was hit with a sour feeling in her stomach. She respected the Orc, and looked up to him in a similar fashion to Glarawen. Or at least, she did before the incident with Deathswalker. Now she felt as if the Orc had befriended her solely for the purpose of using her to lure her clan mates to their death.  
_ But I wasn't with TGS then…_ she thought, feeling guilty for her anger towards him. She sighed and shifted, trying not to let herself think about Deathswalker. She felt young and stupid now when it came to him. How idiotic she had been to think he might've actually cared for her. His mysterious kisses to avert any questions of his frequent disappearances should've been a sign enough to her that something wasn't right. _Was I that starved for attention?_ She wondered to herself, a lump rising in her throat.

Her mind instantly wandered to the Grand Saint's Day party in the Elven Village, and the heated kiss she had shared with the red-masked Dark Elf there. Her heart gave a little flutter as she recalled the feel of his thigh between hers as he leaned his knee against the wall she had been pressed against. Her face went a dark shade of crimson and she rubbed her cheeks furiously, trying to push the memory away. _No more Dark Elves, remember? He was probably just like Deathswalker, living for that one night of passion that would sustain him for another twelve minutes_. She thought bitterly. She sniffled and wiped underneath her eyes, trying to recall a lighter memory to ease her fast declining mood.

The face of Leon suddenly emerged in her mind, and she smiled wistfully to herself once more. It'd been three years since she'd met him, but instead of feeling like a proud old woman watching her grandchildren grow, she felt like she grew younger as he grew older. His maturity surpassed far beyond anyone she ever knew, and she still didn't know what had happened in his past to make him that way. He'd given her some hints that he'd once been part of a wealthy merchant family whom hadn't been too pleased with him picking up the sword instead of learning the trade, but spoke no more than that.

She chuckled to herself as she recalled his obliviousness to Sharmin's apparent feelings for him. According to Ryonai, Sharmin had picked up the sword after watching Leon train for a year. Everyone could see how strongly she felt for him; everyone that is, except for Gatz and Leon himself. Narlafayn wondered if Leon really was that oblivious to Sharmin's feelings, or just too much of a nice guy to reject her. She shook her head, smiling softly; Sharmin would be a good pair-up for Leon. It was a shame that he had no interest in girls at this time.

The current business of his clan being in the Conviction alliance, which was sworn enemy to the La Familia one, upset her. She hoped it would be resolved soon, as Leon was more important to her than any clan politics. She didn't want to be labeled a traitor or spy by her clan for associating with him, but she didn't want to loose a good friend to it either. She chuckled to herself again as she tried to imagine what Leon was doing at that time. The image that popped into her head was of him sitting lazily with his feet dangling over the edge of a dock in Giran Harbor, a fishing pole clutched in his hands as he whistled to himself, waiting for fish to bite. She didn't know when he'd developed such a fascination for fishing, but while they were on Talking Island, he'd disappear every day in the evening to fish in the river near the Elven Ruins.

It was through Leon that she'd met Junk Pixie, her newest friend. The young Dwarf and her family were quite possibly the oddest Narlafayn would ever meet, but somehow their craziness rounded out her life perfectly. Staying with them for the few months she did was one long roller coaster ride, but she found herself thinking in surprise that she'd do it again. She'd left Junk Pixie in Gludin when she ventured to Heine, and she hoped she was staying out of trouble.

"What are you doing out here?" Inaphase's voice came, disrupting her thoughts. Narlafayn looked up in surprise, which grew as she realized the sun had long since set, and the moon was in the process of rising.

"Thinking…" she said evasively. She didn't want to tell Inaphase that she was out there because she felt rejected. It seemed immature and silly to say it out loud. Inaphase smiled softly at her and held out a hand, motioning for her to take it.

"Come, come." He urged her gently, pulling her up as she hesitantly lifted her hand. Narlafayn followed him silently back into the inner castle, and found that the chaos inside had calmed enough to where people had divided themselves into the sides that knew Glarawen, and the sides that knew November. The volume of conversation had lowered too, and was now a pleasant hum. Narlafayn hesitated as she entered, and then hastily took a seat on the side that knew Glarawen.

November stood on the side a groom would, Tex next to her and patting her shoulder in a consoling manner. It suddenly struck Narlafayn as odd that November would take a male position in the wedding, but she surmised that someone had to take a boy role to make the wedding work properly. November had further taken the boy role by dressing in the formal wear the Elven men usually wore to their weddings; a suit made up of shimmery white pants and suit coat with a richly silver embroidered vest beneath it. At first glance it was strange to see such a pretty elf wearing boy's clothing, but the longer Narlafayn looked at her, the more it seemed to fit.

She glanced over her shoulder towards the door, and raised her eyebrows in surprise as she saw the figure of Dasniall standing off to the side of the stairs leading in. His posture was one of consoling, and Narlafayn could barely make out the hem of a white gown from where she sat. Kirara came in and shut the doors quietly behind her, and wandered in a nonchalant way up to Inaphase.

"Glarawen's getting cold feet." She whispered to him. "She's nervous about all of the people watching."

"Want me to go talk to her?" Narlafayn asked, earning a look of surprise from her clan leader. Kirara spun on foot and skipped back out the door, shutting it behind her.

"No, it'll be fine. Let Dasniall handle it." Inaphase said with a small grin. Again Narlafayn's heart dropped, but she didn't budge from where she sat. She felt very far away from her beloved Elder at that moment, but she didn't know how to convey that feeling without seeming childish. Inaphase went up to November and Tex and spoke with them quietly, most likely about Glarawen as November attempted to move in the direction of the door. Tex put a hand on her shoulder to stop her, and winked as he went in November's place. There was a tense moment, and Tex slipped back into the inner castle, grinning broadly. He paused as he passed Narlafayn and looked down at her curiously.

"Why are you sitting there?" he questioned, lifting an eyebrow. Narlafayn stared at him blankly for a moment until he reached down and grabbed her arm, hefting her to her feet. "Don't be silly like that, Glarawen expects you to be up here." He marched her to a spot near the throne and placed her by putting his hands on her shoulders. "Cheer up, the chaos isn't that bad." He said with a wink. Narlafayn stared at him with wide eyes, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. A small smile graced her lips and he grinned mischievously at her in return. He took up a spot next to November as Dasniall entered the inner castle and strutted his way towards them

"The bride has arrived." He announced in a grand manner, pausing at the edge of the carpet path that led to the throne. He wore silvery plate armor, a vast difference from the robes Narlafayn was accustomed to seeing him in. The doors swung open grandly and the audience caught their first sight of Glarawen.

She wore a strapless white gown which shimmered with holy light and touched the ground. She lacked the traditional veil that most wore at their wedding, and instead had a circlet of the ice flowers said to grow in a forbidden area in Elmore. Crystallized vines dangled down in front of her ears, and she held a bouquet of summer flowers in shades of the season. A rosy blush touched her cheeks, and Narlafayn found herself smiling as she looked at her, happy tears welling inside of her but not showing. November herself was taken by Glarawen's beauty, and stared at her with her lips parting slightly in awe. Kirara skipped ahead of her, a crystal playing a melody common to weddings rotating slowly above her head. She took a spot near Narlafayn and gave her a confused look before shrugging and turning her attention back onto Glarawen.

The entire inner castle had gone silent save for the sound of the wedding melody, everyone seemingly holding their breaths as Glarawen made her way towards them. Dasniall met her at the end of the carpet and offered his arm, which she took with a shy grin. She looked at the people around her, and grinned broadly as her eyes met Narlafayn's. _Thank you for being here Narla, this means so much to me. _She thought she heard Glarawen's tearfully happy voice say in her head. Dasniall paused at the edge of the throne platform and met November's eyes evenly.

"November…" he began, his voice loud and commanding, "I give you this woman this day in the hopes that you will cherish her, more than anyone ever could in this life or the next. You are her light, her life, her love. This beautiful woman chose you, out of every other man in her life. You fulfilled within her the need she craved, and I beseech you…please continue to covet her, for longer than life lasts. For longer than eternity even, be one with her." He looked down at Glarawen with a gentle, brotherly expression, and held a hand out to November as if presenting her. "If this is the man you truly love and desire, so be it." He said gently. Tears brimming in her eyes, Glarawen nodded and kissed Dasniall on the cheek before stepping up onto the throne platform and standing next to November with a smile. She gave Narlafayn another grin and reached her hand out to take hers and give it a reassuring squeeze. Inaphase stepped up now, as the clan leader he was the only one designated to officiate the wedding procedures.

"We gathered here today to witness the marriage between these two, whose love has touched and inspired us all in ways we've never expected…" he began, his accented voice as clear as Dasniall's had been.

"Sometimes they make us puke with it too…" Tex's voice mumbled. Several in the audience snickered and Narlafayn bit her lower lip to keep from laughing herself.

"Tex!" November hissed, giving her best man a playful glare.

"And now I am proud and honored to be the person to join them together as one, so they may never be torn apart…" he continued, looking out to the congregation watching them.

The wedding drew on, and despite the earlier upset, Narlafayn found that she couldn't stop smiling. Movement from the audience caught her attention, and Narlafayn saw a Dark Elf with black hair that fell over the right side of his face watching the proceedings from the shadows of a pillar off to the side. Narlafayn's lips parted slightly as she once again recalled the Grand Saint Day's party; the intense look the Dark Elf had echoing the others. Her heart began to pound and her muscles tensed in her legs to move towards him, but logic slammed down on her, keeping her rooted to her spot. A human girl emerged from the other side of the pillar and slipped into the crowd sitting on November's side with a sheepish grin, going unnoticed by most everyone else. Narlafayn's heart caught in her throat as the Dark Elf met her eyes again, and familiarity clicked as she realized that the man from that night was there, in the shadows, within reach. He stared at her for a moment, his expression hidden by the shadows he took shelter in, before shutting his eyes and slipping out of the inner castle, unnoticed. Disappointment rooted itself inside of her chest despite her earlier insisting that she'd never look at another Dark Elf with interest again.

"Do you have the rings?" Inaphase asked the couple in front of him, drawing Narlafayn's attention back. Tex began to pat his armor making confused noises, and earning an instant look of horror from November.

"Naw, just kidding man." He grinned, pulling the delicate band from inside of his shoulder guard. November visibly relaxed and shook her head at her friend, trying to not find his joke funny. She took a nervous breath and faced Glarawen, her cheeks rosy.

"This ring holds my promise to love you, to be with you for the rest of our physical lives. This ring binds me to you for all of eternity after." November said, her voice shaking with happiness. She took a breath as she placed the ring on Glarawen's delicate finger before continuing. "Im Arvalo, estathar le Glarawen, sui hervess n**í**n. Gerich velethnín a guil nín al lû bân."

Narlafayn tilted her head curiously. Again it was the strange language she'd heard Glarawen speak the night she saw them on Talking Island.

"November was proclaiming that Glarawen is her wife and promised to love her for all eternity." Dasniall murmured, now standing behind her. She nodded slightly, not quite understanding the reason for the vow in another language, but didn't voice her question. Kirara stepped forward and gave Glarawen a ring identical to the one Tex had given November.

"This ring holds my promise to love you forever, and bind myself to you for all of eternity after." Glarawen said her voice thick with tears. "Not even the Abyss will separate us." She reached down and took November's hand gently, and placed the ring upon her finger. "Im Glarawen, estathar le Arvalo, sui hervennen n**í**n. Gerich velethnín a guil nín al lû bân." She recited as well, squeezing November's hand tightly.

"By the holy order granted to me, in the name of the gods whom watch this joining with gladness; Einhasad, Eva, Paagrio and Maphr, I now pronounce you bound for life. You may kiss." Inaphase finished, holding his hands above them. There was a sudden look of desperation that passed between the two, and it seemed to Narlafayn that November suddenly hesitated, as if unsure of herself.

"Better hurry or I'll kiss her instead." Tex whispered to November. November pursed her lips nervously before cupping Glarawen's face gently and drawing it close to kiss her. Several men in the audience stood up and cheered loudly, which halted as a light suddenly engulfed November. She doubled over in front of Glarawen, who reached out to her in worry.

"What's going on?" Narlafayn cried, taking a step towards them. Tex caught her attention and held a hand out to halt her. She looked at him in shock, wondering why nobody was helping November, who now was groaning in pain.

November clutched her stomach and attempted to stand back up, her eyes squinted shut. Groans of pain continued to come forth from her, and Narlafayn was shocked as her voice seemed to deepen, and was soon no longer feminine sounding. She crouched to the ground and placed her hands on the floor as the light began to diminish, and Narlafayn joined the congregation in one collective gasp as November's lithe figure was no longer feminine. Her shoulders had broadened, and her arms become more masculine. Her hair had become short even, and stood straight back in a similar style to Dasniall's

What stood up from the crouch was no longer November at all, but a delicate featured Elven man, who looked at his own hands in wonder. A smile slowly crossed his face, and his eyes twinkled with tears. He clutched Glarawen tightly to his chest in a fierce hug and then kissed her with all of his might, as if he had restrained himself before. There was a stunned silence in the crowd for a moment, when suddenly the entire inner castle erupted into applause and cheers that no one had ever heard before. Narlafayn's eyes widened as Tex grabbed her around her waist and pulled her up to him, planting his own enthusiastic kiss on her lips.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself. They're so inspirational y'know?" he grinned as she pulled away in surprise. Pieces of animal skin and other soft objects were suddenly launched into the air as the applause increased, Glarawen and the man who was once November pulling away from each other to grin at everyone. Narlafayn herself applauded with all of her might, Tex's arm still draped around her waist. She glanced towards the castle doors, and imagined that she saw the shadow of the Dark Elf darting away, but dismissed it and returned to focusing on the happy new couple.

Some time later, the party had received complimentary group teleportation courtesy of Glarawen and several other Elven Elders that had been present back to Heine. The wedding party now stood on the pier behind the Temple of Eva, waiting for the pleasure boat that would take them for a moonlight cruise around Innadril's waters for the reception. Narlafayn stood near the water's edge, watching everyone with a grin plastered on her face. Dasniall stood near an Orc named Manic, entertaining people by pretending to be comedic lovers with one another. Mad Midget had already been hitting the Dwarven Mead, and stood in front of a group of Dark Elven women without his breastplate on, flexing.

"Narla!" Glarawen's voice came, and Narlafayn had barely turned before she was tackled in a fierce hug. "I'm so sorry that you felt bad earlier, I was so nervous I didn't even know what I was thinking!" she exclaimed, hugging Narlafayn tightly. Narlafayn smiled and returned the hug, patting her on the back.

"It's ok now, it was no big deal." She assured her, feeling warmth spread throughout her chest. Glarawen pulled away and Narlafayn was shocked to find that the Elder was actually crying. She wiped the tears from under her eyes and grinned before hugging Narlafayn again. "One thing though…" Narlafayn began, pulling away gently. "What's the deal with November? Is that even November?" she asked, motioning to the man who stood talking with Tex. Glarawen giggled and linked arms with her, escorting her away from the crowd for more breathing room.

"That's Arvalo." She began, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. "November was what Arvalo became after the Witch Wimere put a curse on him many years ago." Narlafayn's mind worked quickly as she tried to identify Witch Wimere. She'd heard Lavinia talk of her before; apparently she was once a Dark Elf who became so infatuated with the Grand Pirate Zaken that she hid herself away in a cave and slowly became a demon as she studied the magic that he had taught her. "You see, 'Valo used to live in the Elven Village years ago. I vaguely remember him, but I was so young then I never thought much of him other than the Wizard who had pretty hair." She giggled. "He went out with a hunting party to kill Wimere after she tortured and killed a family who was on their way to Gludio. She fell in love with him at first sight and tried to keep him in the cave with her, but he wouldn't return her love. So she threw him out, but not before she cursed him into being a woman. She said that his rejection was cruel and hurtful and that he didn't understand the delicacy of being female, so she made him into November to teach him a lesson. He's been that way for over forty years now." She finished. Narlafayn's eyes bugged out of her head. Forty years as a woman…how on earth did he remember that he was ever a man? "That ritual you saw us doing on Talking Island that night was something Arvalo had heard of after studying ancient texts for a way to undo the curse. We didn't think that it worked, but I guess it did, all it needed was a kiss of true love." She added with a blush. They stopped walking and Narlafayn faced her friend with a smile.

"How come you didn't tell me of all of this sooner?" Narlafayn asked, a bit stung that Glarawen hadn't trusted her enough to confide this story to her.

"'Valo asked me not to tell anyone, I'm so sorry Narla!" Glarawen exclaimed, hugging her again. "I would've told you in a heartbeat, but poor 'Valo was so embarrassed by his condition...you understand don't you?" she pulled away and beseeched Narlafayn with her eyes. Narlafayn nodded and sighed, her smile returning.

"I'm truly…truly happy for you." She said honestly, squeezing Glarawen's hands. Behind her, a small girl with pale blonde hair darted around the legs of their clan members. Red ribbons bounced in her hair, and Narlafayn blinked at her curiously for a moment.

"I'm sure you'll find someone soon too, Narla." Glarawen grinned, giving her a sly look. "I think Tex is looking for a dancing partner for the reception…" she added coyly. Narlafayn blushed and looked away, momentarily struck too dumb to answer. Glarawen giggled and patted her on the head. "I've got to get back to 'Valo, but be sure to stick around for the entire reception, you hear me?" she warned playfully. Narlafayn nodded and watched as she ran back to her husband and jumped into his arms joyfully. He held her tightly and swung her back and forth before putting her down to continue his conversation with Tex, who wore an exaggerated gagging expression. He shook his head and moved away from them as they began to cuddle, and made his way to where Narlafayn stood. Behind him, the blonde haired girl took the hand of a Dark Elf woman, and gave her a bright grin. A dream-like smile crossed the Dark Elves face, and she followed the little girl without hesitation as she led her away from the crowd and through the Temple of Eva.

"Sorry about earlier…I got kind of carried away…" Tex began nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.  
"That's alright, I didn't mind." Narlafayn said, smiling. Tex stood straight up with her words and beamed at her.

"Really?" he asked brightly. Narlafayn shook her head, her smile broadening. He inched closer to her like a little boy and gave her an eager look. "Mind if I do it again?" he asked. Narlafayn chuckled and lifted her face up to his in invitation. He kissed her again, and they remained that way until the pleasure boat pulled up, almost missing their chance to get on it.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

_In which Narlafayn encounters trouble_

Fall came to the lands of Aden in a burst of color, and soon people were preparing for the fall festival in Dion. Narlafayn had taken up residency there after receiving a letter from Vuylay telling her that she was currently living in Gludin once again, this time with Sharmin and Komugi, and that Narlafayn should just do what she wanted for the rest of the year. Narlafayn had first taken the letter as insulting, thinking Vuylay was angry with her, but she later learned in another letter that Vuylay was determined to carry out her tasks to become an Oracle and didn't want any distractions of traveling about with Narlafayn until she'd done it and gotten stronger.

Narlafayn still wore the Mithril armor that Leon had given her, finding that the strength training for a Knight was a lot more difficult than it had been when she was a mere Fighter. Progress was slow, and she was unable to purchase stronger armor with her current income. She had grown accustomed to it, however, and soon it became her staple fashion expression.

She hadn't seen Leon or Junk Pixie since earlier that summer, and she wondered how they were doing. Her clan had been strangely silent as well, as Inaphase, Glarawen, Arvalo and Tex had gone up to Elmore on business not long after Arvalo and Glarawen had returned from their honeymoon. She'd see Legooshka and Mad Midget in town once in awhile, more Legooshka than Mad as he'd left La Familia and was currently trying to put together a crew to become the first ever Orc Shaman Pirate. She found herself missing the human named Tex McTex in surprise, although they hadn't kissed even since the wedding.

Narlafayn had taken up a job from a guard named Harlan to hunt a small nomadic band of Orcs from the Enku tribe. The Enku Orcs were smarter than most of the Orcs that had denounced the teachings of Paagrio, but still not smart enough to be considered worthy opponents. Now that the fall festival was upon the village, Narlafayn had been asked by Harlan to assist a cook named Jonas by collecting the ingredients he needed to make a dish for the cooking contest that would be held during the festival. Narlafayn soon found in frustration that the best ingredients he asked for were hard to procure, and ended up returning with only the sub par ones more than once.

"You couldn't get the White Essence of Mandragora?" Jonas asked her in a whiny tone of voice as she handed him a bottle of Red Mandragora sap. Her temper flared and she squeezed the bottle, cracking the neck of it.

"Listen, why don't YOU go to that stinking place and hunt your own damn Mandragora sap?" Narlafayn growled. Mandragoras grew near the entrance of the Execution Grounds, and Narlafayn had been unfortunate enough to have been there during feeding time. The bodies of those who were killed in that place never returned to their families; they were instead loaded into large silos that had screaming demon statues protruding out of the side of them, mashed up like potatoes, and sent through tubes to the fields where the Mandragoras grew. Narlafayn had been unable to sleep properly since witnessing it, and lost her lunch whenever she remembered what she saw. No more would she eat any meals that she knew had Mandragora sap in it, now that she knew what Mandragoras were made of.

"Fine…this will come out of the money I give you though." He grumbled, taking the cracked bottle from her. He pulled out a clipboard and began flipping through the pages clipped to it, trying to find his next ingredient. Jonas loved hanging out with the Dwarves who took care of the Warehouse, and today was no exception. The hustle and bustle of people demanding their wares from the squat Dwarves was intense, especially so close to the festival. Narlafayn began gritting her teeth, contemplating telling Jonas where to shove his sap, irritated at being pushed every five seconds.

Behind Narlafayn, a human with short dusty blonde hair entered and froze as his eyes landed upon her. He limped around to look at her face, his eyes widening. He lifted a shaking hand to point at her and began making a stuttering noise. Growing more irritated Narlafayn looked at him, frowning.

"What's your problem?" she challenged, putting her hands on her hips. He looked familiar to her, but Narlafayn couldn't place where she'd seen him before.

"You're that bitch that killed Phuong!" he shouted loudly. Narlafayn's frown dropped and her eyes opened wide. She looked around herself in horror as the conversation died down in the Warehouse, all eyes on her.

"What are you talking about?" Narlafayn asked woodenly, glancing at the shocked faces looking at her.

"D-d-d-don't play stupid you harridan!" he shouted, his pointing finger shaking violently. "I went through t-two years of torture in the Execution Grounds because of y-you!" he stuttered. "P-Palmer didn't even make it that long…" he said sadly, his voice thick. Memories of the Maille Lizardman Barracks re-emerged in startling clarity, and Narlafayn instantly remembered where she had seen the man in front of her now. He had been the blonde Rogue that had accompanied Phuong; one of the men that had half raped Vuylay and had been arrested thanks to the efforts of Leon. The last time she had seen him the only mar to his appearance had been the cut that Vuylay had given him across his nose and cheekbones; now he looked much worse.

His hair was short now from the long ponytail that it had once been, and badly shorn into a shaggy style. The cut Vuylay had given him had obviously become infected during his time at the Execution Grounds leaving a discolored scar after it finally did heal. Part of his left cheek had caved in, and the eye on that side rolled uselessly in its socket as if it had been removed and shoved back in precariously. He walked with a limp, and Narlafayn found that one of his feet had been cut off at the ankle. It amazed her that he was still alive after all the obvious torture he'd gone through. A portion of his tongue had been removed, which was most likely the cause for his stuttering now. Not wanting to deal with him, Narlafayn turned away and exited the Warehouse in a hurry.

"D-d-don't walk away fr-fr-from me you hussy!" he shouted after her. Narlafayn glanced over her shoulder in dismay to find him limping as fast as he could after her, sweat beading on his face from the pain of putting weight on his leg stump. "I s-stayed alive for two y-years j-just thinking about all t-the ways I was g-g-going to k-kill you and you s-s-s-slut Dark Elf friend!" he snarled, still limping after her. Narlafayn froze then spun around to face him, her face contorted into hatred. "Y-yeah, that's right. S-she was a g-great slut. L-l-last woman to ever p-put her lips on me thanks to you and y-your Kn-Kn-Knight friend. N-n-now I can't ever h-have a woman again a-a-after that p-p-place." He said wickedly, grinning now that he found a weakness in Narlafayn.

"Alright bastard, you have my attention now, what do you want?" Narlafayn glared, her hands clenching into fists. The man leaned in close to her, an insane gleam twinkling in his eye.

"I want to s-s-see your face twisted in p-pain as I cut off your l-limbs one by o-one." He said in a low voice, the grin broadening. "A-and then when you c-cry in hunger because you can no l-longer feed yourself, I'll h-happily f-feed you my own sh-shit." He continued with a high-pitched giggle. "It'll taste g-good, won't it?" his voice and laugh grew more shrill, and Narlafayn's hands trembled with anger. Before he could continue, she drew an arm back and punched him across his jaw, putting all of her strength into it. He stumbled and landed on his stump, yelping in pain before crashing onto his side.

"What right do you have to speak to me like that?" Narlafayn snarled at him, nursing her sore knuckles. "Angry at me for the torture you received? Don't make me laugh! If I were the one who convicted you, I would've had you put to death on the spot! The death of your sick friends will never match what you did to those orphan girls, or to my friend!" she shouted. The man scooted away from her, his stump leg dragging on the ground as he backed up. He wiped his mouth with one hand while glaring at her as he moved. "Justice was served, now live with the price of your sins." She said in a low voice before spinning on heel and walking away from him.

"T-There is no s-such thing as j-j-justice in this w-world!" he shouted after her. Narlafayn ignored him and continued walking. "Y-you're g-g-gonna learn that the h-hard way one of these days!" he shouted louder. Narlafayn rounded the corner of the building and re-entered the Warehouse, determined to put him out of her mind by getting the next ingredient Jonas needed and leaving town to hunt for it. "I'll m-make sure you do." He added in a lower voice, a dark smirk crossing his lips.

The next day Narlafayn found herself on the outskirts of Cruma Marshlands, staring into the mist without expression. The memories of her last visit there were still very fresh in her mind, and it made her uneasy to enter again. _I'm stronger now, I can do this._ She told herself firmly. Taking a breath she adjusted her shield and half slid down the hill she'd perched herself upon to look out across the marsh.

The next ingredient that Jonas had needed was honey, and had told her that he'd prefer royal jelly if she could get any. The Stinger Wasps around Cruma Tower were said to yield royal jelly more than honey, so Narlafayn decided to brave the bandits in the marsh, not really caring to travel all the way to Floran in search of Bloody Bees.

She found a half-buried pillar in the ground and set up a temporary camp underneath it for a quick doze. She'd traveled all night without rest, trying to put as much distance as she could between herself and the psychotic Rogue still stalking around Dion. She woke a half hour later and pulled herself from her hiding spot, ready to take on the wasps as quickly as possible.

It was easier to travel through the marsh in the daylight, she found, the mist not as thick as she had originally thought. Stakato and giant insects still roamed as plentiful as always, and Narlafayn came across several hunting groups killing them. She kept her distance though, and breathed a sigh of relief as it seemed they were there for their own reasons, and not to kill honest folk.

She paused beneath a strange pillar that had green glowing runes and vein-like designs gracing the stones that built it for a quick lunch. Her hunt for wasps had been slow; the insects were very hard to locate quickly in the expanse of marshland. The sounds of battle met her ears, and Narlafayn peered over her shoulder around the pillar to see where the noise was coming from. She paused in mid-chew of the bite of jerky she'd just taken, her heart suddenly leaping into her throat and causing her appetite to flee.

Not quite fifty yards away from where she sat, a man wielding a spear attempted in vain to fight off a small party of men, who attacked him with raucous laughter. A friendly-faced Bishop kept the man who looked like he was doing the most attacking healed, while a Dark Elf stood off in the distance, loading an arrow into his bow and aiming it at the spear wielder's back. She stood quickly and began to back up, her eyes large. She looked around herself in desperation, trying to find a place to hide, but was dismayed as she realized the nearest tree was so far away it was barely visible in the mist. The arrow flew from the Dark Elves bow and hit the spear-user in the back. He screamed as he fell, the arrow head protruding through his chest on the other side, blood spraying the moss as he collapsed. _Run Narlafayn!_ A voice of reason shouted in her head. _Don't stand there and watch, run!_

"Right there!" she heard someone shout, and the men turned, focusing directly on Narlafayn. She spun on heel and bolted for her life, knowing that she was not strong enough to even hope to take them on.

"That's right honey, you keep running, we like to chase!" the man the Bishop had been healing shouted, his voice thick with laughter. Frightened noises came from Narlafayn's throat as she ran blindly, trying to remember the way out of the marsh.

"HELP ME!" she screamed into the air, her voice giving away her terror. The only answer she received was sinister laughter. The Dark Elf ran faster than the rest of the men, and paused to aim an arrow at her. It missed her back and landed in her arm, spearing her through her elbow. She cried out, but did not cease in running. The Bishop paused in his running and chanted a quick spell, and Narlafayn suddenly felt woozy. _NO NO NO NO_! She wanted to shout angrily, but found that the Bishop had used a sleep spell on her. Her mind was still very much conscious, but her body had gone to sleep. The man he had healed slid to a stop behind her and drew a dagger which he spun once before shoving it into her back. Narlafayn woke up with a gasping scream, her eyes wide as she was brought to her knees with the pain.

"Oh no, not yet." The dagger-user gloated, catching her from falling by grabbing onto her hair at her scalp. He yanked her head back roughly and cut his dagger across her cheekbones and nose, a similar wound to the one Vuylay had given the Rogue years before. She screamed again as blood poured out of the wound and across her face before lifting a hand to grip her hair where he held it. She squeezed his hand with all of her might, praying for the strength to wound it enough for him to release her. The Dark Elf shot another arrow, which penetrated the armor of her gauntlet and pierced through her wrist. Her hand flew away from her head with another cry of pain, and dangled uselessly at her side, both arms now immobile.

"How do y-you l-like your j-justice, b-bitch?" the voice of the Rogue came as he limped around the man who held Narlafayn's hair. Tears of anger poured from Narlafayn's eyes as she stared at him with all of the hatred she could muster. Her eyes widened as the familiar faces of some of her clan mates peered at the display in horror behind the Rogue.

"Help me!" she cried to them weakly. All of the men drew their attention towards her clan mates, who were stronger than all of the men surrounding her combined. The clan mates looked at each other without expression then shrugged and walked away, disinterested.

"Smart people." The Dark Elf complimented. "Want me to go rough them up a bit?" he asked the dagger user.

"Nah, we were paid well, we've got plenty of fun right here." The man grinned, cutting through the leather straps that held her breastplate on. The metal fell away from her chest, leaving only the striped tunic to protect her. The dagger user suddenly had an insane gleam in his eye and lifted up his dagger, then plunged it down, driving it into the soft flesh of her right breast. Narlafayn screamed in agony, her arms flopping uselessly at her sides as she tried to get the wounded muscles to work.

"Shut up already, your voice annoys me." The Rogue snarled, taking a stick from the ground and driving it into the soft place at the base of her throat. Narlafayn's eyes widened and she gasped, air suddenly no longer going through her throat, but through this new hole the man had created.

"You idiot, now she's going to suffocate to death before we've had our fill of fun!" the Dark Elf protested. The Rogue shrugged, tossing the stick to the ground. Narlafayn choked, trying to find air, her vision swimming with black specks. _What did I do to deserve this?_ She cried inside. The dagger user released her hair and let her drop to the moss on her stomach. They moved to her pack and began digging through it, looking for desirable items. A heaving sob attempted to leave her body, the air whistling through the hole the man made in her chest as her eyes shut, finding them too heavy to keep open any longer.

"That's quite enough of that." A smooth voice came. The men looked up just as a discharge of energy flew through the air and hit the Bishop in the chest. It seared through his lungs, leaving a charred hole. He was dead before he hit the ground. The Gladiator with slicked back brown hair that Narlafayn had bumped into that one night in Gludio so long ago emerged from the mist with a sinister glare. Surprised, the remaining men backed up a few steps before the Dark Elf fired an arrow into the Gladiator's shoulder. He did no more than blink in mild surprise as the arrow penetrated his muscle, and looked down at it curiously, as if it were no more than a mosquito biting him. "That could be a problem." He stated lightly, reaching up to break the arrow in half. Leaving the rest of it where it was, he lifted his swords and darted at the men without a word, his first target the Dark Elf.

The Dark Elf grinned at the challenge flying at him and drew another arrow back in his bow. He let it fly, its path directly towards the Gladiator's forehead. The Gladiator ducked it smoothly and twirled both swords in his hands before gripping them tightly and stabbing them into the Dark Elf's waist. There was a broken noise of surprise from the Dark Elf's throat before the Gladiator pushed in hard once before pulling the swords out, the direction they were in slicing the Dark Elf in two. His innards spilled onto the grass before his body did, earning a shout of despair from the dagger user.

"Pathetic. I can't believe so many people died to you." The Gladiator mumbled, spitting on the Dark Elf's head. He turned his head in a swift movement to look at the remaining men. "I'm running out of time here, so be a sport and tell me which one of you paid for that unnecessary torture on the body of that girl?"

"H-h-he did!" the Rogue suddenly shouted, pointing at the dagger user, who looked at him in horror. The Gladiator raised an eyebrow, his face expressionless.

"You do know that you just gave yourself away, correct?" he asked the Rogue evenly, shaking the blood from his swords as he slowly advanced towards them. "A man would never pay himself to kill someone, now that is just ludicrous." He stated logically. The Rogue whimpered as he turned on heel to run away, leaving the dagger user, who raised his dagger and ran at the Gladiator with a shout. Without even looking, the Gladiator beheaded the dagger user, not deterred from his focus. He shot himself forward and cut at the man in a cleaving motion, catching his foot as it was raised in the position of running. The Gladiator cut it off neatly, leaving the man with no feet. He sheathed one of his swords to lift the Rogue up by his hair. After glancing at Narlafayn's prone figure once, he stabbed his sword through the man's arm at the elbow and again on the other hand at the wrist, mimicking her arrow wounds and nearly tearing the limbs off.

"S-S-Stop, I b-b-beg you!" the man screamed. "I've h-h-had enough t-torture!' he sniveled.

"Torture? Really." The Gladiator responded, tilting his head and raising his eyebrows in interest. "Do tell me of this torture, I'd really like to learn about the methods they use in the Execution Grounds. I've been there several times, but nobody will ever spill about the methods they use." He drew the Rogue's head back and traced the point of his blade across the puckered scar on his face, reopening it. "I'd also like to hear where you've justified what you did to that girl over there. You obviously did something veeery bad to be punished in the first place. What makes you think you've got the right to seek revenge after that?" He jammed his sword about five inches into the Rogue's pectoral, pushing it outward instead of withdrawing it, cutting a huge tear into his chest. He screamed as a spray of blood shot into the air, showering the mossy ground with red color.

"S-she deserved it… s-she k-k-killed Phuong…" the Rogue said in a hard tone of voice, his eyes watering. "Wh-Wh-Whore like her…h-h-has n-no respect f-f-for c-clan p-politics…P-p-people l-l-like h-her need to d-d-disappear." He stuttered.

"Clan politics you say?" the Gladiator repeated, the interested tone of voice returning.

"Vlad, if you don't hurry, she's going to die." A new voice came from the mist. Vlad looked up as the form of Amari appeared, walking slowly with his arms folded across his chest. He made a sour face at the bodies littering the ground. "What a mess…couldn't you perhaps be a little neater next time?" he asked, wrinkling his nose.

"I'll try and keep that in mind, but it's really hard when you're dealing with the squishiness of humans." Vlad apologized. "I'm almost through here, just got one last injury to share with him. Sadly, I don't have anything stick-like on me so I'm going to have to use my sword again." He looked back down at the Rogue without expression and lifted his sword once more.

"No please!" the Rogue pleaded. Vlad gave him a childish half smile before driving the sword point downward, stabbing him in the base of his throat as he had Narlafayn. Instead of just puncturing the thin skin there, Vlad kept going, impaling the Rogue with his blade until the point burst out of his back and pinned the man to the ground. He left the sword there, the Rogue twitching reflexively. He turned towards Amari, who was kneeling next to Narlafayn, checking her pulse. "She kick it?" he asked.

"No, but she's close to it. Let's get her back to Dion." Amari murmured, loosely placing her breastplate over her and lifting her. "Grab her bag, will you?" he asked, glancing at his companion. "Oh, and don't' forget your sword this time. I'm tired of cleaning up after you when you leave evidence." He nagged as he opened up a Gatekeeper scroll in one hand.

"Don't forget your sword this time." Vlad mimicked in a high-pitched tone of voice with a sour expression as Amari disappeared. He shook his head and reached down to retrieve Narlafayn's bag, and paused as something caught his attention.

Every place that her blood had touched had formed into a patch of dead moss, the dirt underneath suddenly looking barren and rotten even. The scientist in him suddenly curious, Vlad took an empty bottle from his pack and scooped up a patch of the bloody earth and hurriedly brought it over to the impaled Rogue. He dropped it onto his face and watched in childish curiosity as the drops of blood still speckling the dirt seeped into the Rogue's face. The skin, in a small circular patch, rotted and dried away at an accelerated decomposition rate, Vlad mentally recording the reaction with professional excitement.

"Interesting. Very interesting. I'm going to have to study this some more…" he stated to himself as he withdrew the blade from the Rogue's body. Cackling to himself in glee he opened his own scroll, leaving the bodies in the marsh for the Stakatos to deal with.

Narlafayn woke, wincing as bright sunlight streamed into her room. She lifted a hand to shield her eyes from it, wishing that she'd taken a room with curtains. Suddenly remembering that she hadn't rented a room anywhere, she sat up with a bolt, her eyes wide. She felt her chest, throat and face, sighing in relief as she found all of the wounds healed.

"Glad to see you didn't bite it yet." Amari said from his seat near the window. Narlafayn looked at him in confusion for a moment before slamming herself against the wall the bed sat against in fear, her mind not quite working properly yet. "I see. Your psyche must've had quite a shock after all of that." He said in a pitying tone. "Is there anything I can get you? You look thirsty." He offered, standing up and taking his staff from where it leaned against the chair.

"G..Glarawen." Narlafayn said, still staring at him with a wild expression. A pained look crossed Amari's features for a moment, as if he were recalling something from his past.

"I'm not sure I'm familiar with that name, but I'll see what I can do. Stay put." He commanded, gently shutting the door as he exited the room. Narlafayn stared at it for a moment as if she expected the Rogue or the dagger user to come barging in any second to finish her off. When she seemed assured that she was safe for the moment, she scooted off the bed and padded across the floor, the long white nightgown she wore swirling around her in a ghost-like fashion. She opened the window and looked out, trying to get her mind to recognize the scenery of Dion.

_Gotta get help…_ she thought woodenly, walking stiffly away from the window and towards her armor, which was piled neatly in the corner._ Gludin…to the clan hall. Nov always said to go there when I needed help_. She thought, dressing. She found that the straps of her breastplate had been repaired, but gave little thought as to who had done it. Her eyes still locked in their wide-open state, Narlafayn reached into her pack and dug through it until her hand closed around a special Gatekeeper scroll. It had a seal on it in the shape of a house, and was specially designed to transport a person back to their clan hall. She pulled her pack onto her shoulder and without another thought, opened the scroll. The transport light had just diminished as Amari re-entered the room, his jaw dropping slightly as he found it empty.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

_In which Narlafayn hides from the world and receives flowers on a regular basis. _

Narlafayn found herself standing in the center of the Clan Hall when the world around her returned, bewildered faces of her clan mates staring at her. "Where's Glarawen?" she asked the minute she appeared. The clan mates looked at each other curiously, all of them new recruits that Narlafayn didn't know.

"Beats us, who's Glarawen?" one answered her.

"Who are you by the way? You know you just kind of appeared in the middle of our strategy meeting." Another scoffed, sizing her up. Narlafayn glanced desperately among the faces of the people crowding into the hall, feeling helpless.

"I was attacked in Cruma Marshlands…the guys who hurt me are still out there…" she said, not knowing that Vlad had already dispatched them for her. Her clan mates looked at each other again and a few snickered.

"So? How is that any of our problem? You got yourself into that position, get yourself out of it. It's not our fault you're so weak." The first one scoffed again. Narlafayn's eyes widened again in shock, not believing what she was hearing.

"You're my clan…" she said weakly, backing away from them. Again they looked at each other and giggled.

"Just because we're in the same clan doesn't mean we have to get involved in your problems." The first said again. "Just forget about it and go train some more, you look like you survived, what's the big deal?" they said dismissively. Backs were turned on her after that, and Narlafayn swallowed hard against the lump in her throat.

"Oh yeah, I've heard of her, she's that spy for Conviction." Someone whispered loudly. Narlafayn tensed, but didn't turn back around to defend herself.

She exited the hall slowly and walked towards Gludin square with her eyes downcast. The scornful words of the rookie clan member burned in her ears, tears springing unbidden to her eyes. She didn't bother to hold them back, not caring who saw her shed them.

_Yes…I am weak_. She thought mournfully. She looked at her hands, which trembled slightly. _That's why I'm still a Knight…that's why I'm so easily used by others._ She sniffed and looked to the sky, tears dripping from both of her eyes. _This world is too cruel; I don't want to be a part of it any more._ She decided. She focused on the north gates and began walking towards them in a trance-like state.

"Narla?" Damascus exclaimed as she passed him. "Hey, Narla!" he shouted, reaching out and putting a hand on her shoulder. She stopped and looked at him slowly, her eyes bleary and red. "Wow, I thought that was you, how have you been? Your clan treating you good?" he asked with a grin.

"Leave me alone." She mumbled, turning from him. She shifted her pack on her shoulder and began walking towards the gate once more.

"What's that attitude for?" he demanded, walking next to her. Narlafayn stopped again and turned swiftly to face him.

"Did you know Deathswalker was only using me to kill off my clan?" she asked him sharply, staring into his eyes. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but it was hard to read what he was thinking.

"Deathswalker is an Assassin for hire; anyone could've hired him for that job." Damascus stated. "Besides, weren't you warned never to get close to a Dark Elf unless you knew what you were doing?" he shifted casually, as if he were stating the most common knowledge in the world. Many angry retorts shouted through Narlafayn's head, but she found that her voice would not speak them. Instead she turned away from Damascus and continued onward through the gate. "Narla, I'm sorry, alright? Just learn to be more careful next time." He called after her as she passed through it. She ignored him and began traveling north. She left no trace behind her, save for a woven piece of black fabric adorned with a silver pirates pistol that fluttered and blew towards the ocean in a sudden gust of wind.

She walked without aim for a month, following the winding path north. She arrived at a small farming community on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Wind spirits roamed freely throughout the land, and some began to glide around Narlafayn curiously. She paused for a moment, her breath steaming in the air in front of her, as she decided that this would be her new home. It was secluded, the only other signs of intelligent life being a grizzled farmer and his wife. They paused in their activities, the farmer leaning upon the long axe he'd been using to chop wood to watch her.

A cabin of medium size stood ahead of her, its front doors facing the ocean. Vines grew around it, and the yard looked unkempt. Without looking at the farmer or his wife who still watched her curiously she walked up to the cabin and peered through the windows. It was dark inside, and a thin layer of dust covered the furniture.

"If you're lookin' for the owners, they ain't comin' back." The farmer called, leaning his chin upon his hands. "They were done in almost a year ago by some Turek Orcs as they came up here to harvest some Wind spirits." Narlafayn thought for a moment and decided that she must've walked herself to Windy Hill, a small area north of the Orc Barracks that was nestled against the mountain range that separated Gludio Territory from the Dark Forest.

"Thank you." She said, and rounded to the front. She tried the door, and to her relief it swung open. She entered slowly, leaves that had blown in from under the door crunching as she stepped on them. There were footprints scattered about in the dust, and a blanket thrown precariously across the floor, so Narlafayn figured she wasn't the first traveler to happen upon this place.

She set about to tidying, and cleaned the house up in no time. The farmer and his wife ventured over curiously the third day she was there to introduce themselves and share some of their supplies with her. She only half-heartedly returned their kindness, and they left with pitied expressions, seeing that the Elf was discontent within herself.

The previous owners had left the cabin completely furnished, and Narlafayn felt no guilt when she slept in their bed or wore the clothes left behind. Her armor had been shed and shoved into a closet, as far away from her sight as she could push it.

She stood on the cliff overlooking the ocean with an unreadable expression one evening after having dinner with the farmer and his wife, an icy wind whipping her hair around her face. Wind spirits passed her, breathing on her skin in a friendly attempt at keeping the chill from it. Their warm breath wasn't enough to stave off the winter though, and Narlafayn shivered. _I don't ever want to see anyone again._ She thought to herself. _What have I been fighting for all of this time? Nothing. I have no meaning to my life out there. I might as well stay here, where it's quiet._ With another sigh she turned and re-entered the cabin, rubbing her arm as she entered. She went into the bedroom and dressed in a long white nightgown before dousing the light and climbing into bed.

Sometime during the night the door to the cabin opened and a shadowy figure slipped inside. The figure, which was male, paused in surprise at the sudden clean state of the house. He had been using the cabin on and off as a resting home, and was shocked to suddenly see it occupied. Curiously he peered into the bedroom, his breath catching in his throat. Moonlight spilled in through a window at the head of the bed and shone off of Narlafayn's hair, making it gleam as if it were made from it. She sighed once and hiccupped lightly, a remnant of crying herself to sleep. He glided quietly across the floor, one board creaking softly as he stepped on it. He pulled a chair away from the desk that sat next to the bed and sat upon it backwards, resting his arms over the back as he watched her sleep.

"Who are you?" he whispered softly, reaching out a hand to brush hair away from her face. "Why do you look so sad?" Her response was another sigh, and she rolled onto her back. Her nightgown had come unlaced at the neck, the curve of her chest clearly visible in the opening. A gentle yet unreadable expression on his face, he gently caressed down her cheek to her neck, and lightly touched the skin between her breasts. "Why are you always where I am anymore?" he asked, yearning apparent in his voice even though it was barely audible. The Dark Elf with the intense gaze settled himself in the chair, and watched the Elf he'd thought about so many times since that night at the Grand Saint's Day party sleep, wishing he were brave enough to try and comfort the sadness away from her expression.

Sometime mid winter, Narlafayn awoke to find a bouquet of flowers in a vase next to her bed. It struck her as curious, as flowers should've been long since dead by then. They were bright and cheerful however, as if unaffected by the cold. The sight of them eased her heart a bit, but it did not repair it. Flowers continued to come daily, delivered to her by the Wind spirits who lived on the hill around her. She figured it was just them being friendly, although it baffled her as to how the prettiest of the flowers managed to end up inside the cabin when none of the spirits could enter. The winter passed quickly, and soon spring was upon her. Narlafayn soon began to feel that she lived in a greenhouse with as many flowers as she was receiving. She began to share them with the farmer's wife, just to find places for them.

One balmy night Narlafayn emerged from the house to stand on the edge of the cliff and look out over the ocean. Doing such had become a nightly ritual, and she would just stand for hours, gazing out over the blue gray waters, imagining herself flying over them like a bird. The hill was silent this night, save for the sound of the ocean crashing against the rocks a hundred feet below. Even the Wind spirits seemed to be hiding, and Narlafayn wondered if a storm was on its way. The sound of clinking armor met her ears, traveling over the quiet fields, and Narlafayn looked over her shoulder towards it. She barely made out the glint of red armor in moonlight before an anxious fear swept over her, and she raced for the cabin. She slammed the door shut and looked at it in dismay as she finally realized that it lacked a lock. Looking around herself desperately, her eyes landed on the chair that sat under a small round table. She snatched it quickly, bumping the table and causing a vase on top of it to rock, water sloshing out and spilling onto the polished surface. She lodged it under the doorknob and backed away a few steps, breathless.

A gasp left her throat as she realized the curtains were still drawn back, and the approaching stranger could see her clearly inside. She raced to them and jerked the fastener holding them to the side, letting the filmy fabric fall over the glass. No sooner than she had released the last curtain, a loud knocking sounded at her door. Her heart pounding she backed away from it until her legs hit the low couch that sat in front of a fireplace.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to disturb you, but could you help me?" a youthful male voice called through the wood. "I have someone ill out here you see…she needs assistance that I can't give her anymore." Narlafayn swallowed, her heart pounding so loud she thought the person on the other side could hear it.

"Go away…" she whimpered softly, gripping the couch with her hands. The logical side of her attempted to voice its opinion in her mind, that she had no reason to be scared of swordsmen before, but she ignored it, instead trembling like a frightened Elpy.

"Please help her…" the boy pleaded, his voice thick as if with tears. There was a thump against the wood as if he had rested his forehead against the paneling. "I can't help her any more…I'll give you my life in exchange, just please take her in." Narlafayn found his plea strange, and she wondered if he were really talking to her then, or praying. There was a sliding noise, and then silence, the only sound being Narlafayn's breath as it came out in short pants. She let her tension out in a whoosh of air, and slid to the floor, resting her head against her knees. She remained that way for a moment before pushing herself to her feet and cautiously approaching one of the windows set next to the front door, and peered out it. The only thing that met her eyes was the moonlight bouncing off of the front gate. Swallowing hard, she removed the chair from underneath the doorknob and opened it slowly. A body lay near her front door on its side. Narlafayn's eyes widened, her first instinct to slam the door shut and bar it closed again. Something stopped her though, and instead she found herself emerging from the cabin and approaching them.

The person was female, and Narlafayn could see that she was ill with some unknown disease. Her skin was milky white, even in the blue moonlight, and her red brigandine armor seemed to sag on her body. The girl's travel pack, sword and shield were neatly stacked against the house, and Narlafayn scratched her head in confusion. She knelt over the girl and rolled her over enough to look at her face, emitting a gasp as she recognized the girl to be Sharmin.

It took her several minutes to drag Sharmin inside the house, the girl's armor making her almost thirty pounds heavier than her real weight. She struggled to get her out of it and dressed her in one of the nightgowns the previous tenants had left behind. She tucked Sharmin into her bed, and pulled the covers up over her, as the girl had begun to shiver.

"You've been poisoned." She murmured, digging under the bed for the stash of potions she'd left there. She grabbed a bottle of red healing potion and pulled the stopper from it, supporting Sharmin's head at her neck and holding the bottle to her lips for her to drink.

"Leon…" she sobbed after taking a swallow. Narlafayn's eyes widened as she gently placed Sharmin's head back on the pillow, and her heart began to thud for a different reason. Had she just turned away her friend? Desperation creeping into her limbs, Narlafayn darted out of the bedroom and then the house, and scanned the moonlit meadow for any sign of the person who had been there. Not bothering to mask the sadness on her face, Narlafayn slowly turned and re-entered the house, disappointment adding to her never-ending depression.

She tended to Sharmin for the next two days, trying to nurse her out of the poisoning she'd received. Two puncture wounds on her back that looked suspiciously like they were made by spider pincers had become infected; most likely being the reason Sharmin couldn't fight off the poison completely. The longer she was in Sharmin's presence, the more depressed she became, as seeing the girl's face brought back memories of Leon, and Vuylay, and all of the people she'd left behind when she secluded herself on Windy Hill. She wondered with worry why Sharmin was not with Vuylay and Komugi, as Vuylay's last letter said they were staying together in Gludin. The first motivation she'd felt in months to leave the cabin and go search for her Dark Elf friend hit her for one brief, wild moment, but then was gone. She began to tell herself that she was too weak to do anything for her friend, should she find her in trouble. She didn't want to go out just to watch her die; she'd rather stay and be ignorant to it.

Sharmin woke in the afternoon of the second day, as Narlafayn sat at her kitchen table, looking out the window. The Wind Spirit had brought her another bouquet of flowers, but she was finding that they no longer soothed her spirit like they used to. This irked her, and she wondered if seeing Sharmin had anything to do with it. She wanted those simple plants to comfort her; she didn't want to think about the outside world.

"Narlafayn?" she heard Sharmin whisper as she gazed through the glass with her chin in her hand. It startled her, and she glanced over her shoulder at the girl. She winced at the look of pity on Sharmin's face, but didn't show that she noticed and gave her a weak smile.

"Oh…I'm glad you're ok. You've been so dead asleep; I was worried you were in a coma or something." She said, her voice coming out raspier than she intended. Sharmin looked around the living area in wonder, her hands unconsciously balling up the fabric of the nightgown.

"Did you bring me here?" she asked, blinking at the mass amount of flowers decorating everything.

"In here, yes. I found you outside my house two days ago." Narlafayn replied simply, suddenly feeling too tired to socialize any longer with her. She returned to gazing out the window, watching gulls fly over the ocean and wishing she were one of them. There was a sharp gasp from Sharmin, and Narlafayn looked over as the girl darted to her side and knelt beside her.

"My sister and Vuylay, have you seen them?" she asked in concern. Not facing her, Narlafayn tensed, her eyes wide and her heart once again thudding. _What happened to Vuylay?_ Her mind told her to ask, but her voice remained silent. "Narlafayn!" Sharmin exclaimed, thinking she was ignoring her. She swallowed; making sure her voice was even and uncaring. _I can't go out there again, I'm sorry. Just leave me alone and don't tell me any more. _She pleaded to Sharmin in her mind.

"No. There's just me and a couple of farmers out here, I haven't seen anyone but them, and you." She said instead, not looking at her. Sharmin sunk to sit on the floor, her eyes large as she tried to grasp her situation.

"I have to go…I need to find Komugi…" Sharmin mumbled mechanically, her shock showing through.

"Your weapons and armor are in the broom closet." Narlafayn replied airily. _Yes, this is right. Hurry up and leave so I don't have to think about you people any more. _She said to Sharmin in her head. Sharmin moved away from her, and Narlafayn could hear her open the closet door. There was shuffling as Sharmin dressed right there, and Narlafayn sighed, tapping the fingernail of her other hand against the table. _Hurry up already._ She urged her.

"Will you come with me?" Sharmin asked. Narlafayn answered her with a short burst of chuckle.

"Sorry, but no." she declined blandly.

"Why not?" The curiosity in Sharmin's voice lit Narlafayn's temper and she restrained herself from snapping at her.

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Do you have to be so nosy?" Narlafayn finally shouted, bringing her hands down hard on the table as she turned in her seat to look at Sharmin. She sighed and turned back to her window. "Things have happened, I'm not who I was the last time you saw me. It's better if I stay here." She muttered, hoping it was enough of an explanation for her.

"Narlafayn…" Sharmin began, her voice rich with sympathy. Narlafayn stood up quickly from the table, bringing her palms face down on the table as hard as she could. The vase on it finally toppled, water and flowers spilling over the edge and onto the floor.

"You are welcome to stay here if you need to recover, but if you are fine, I want you to leave." She said in a tempered voice. Narlafayn couldn't take it any longer, if Sharmin stayed there with that look of pity plastered on her face she knew she would break down and cry. She hated how she was yearning to return to the 'outside' world, and she wanted the reminder of it to disappear. When Sharmin didn't move, she clenched her fists as hard as she could and shouted, "There's nothing for me out there anymore, Take what you need from here and go!" Her nails pricked her palms and she felt blood well up and seep through the cracks of her skin onto the table. Sharmin opened her mouth again, and then shut it, moving away from the Elf to re-stock her travel pack. She paused at the door before leaving and looked back at Narlafayn, who stared hard at the toppled flowers, trying not to cry.

She remained that way for ten long minutes after Sharmin had shut the door before leaning heavily on the back of the chair. She hunched her shoulders and leaned her head down, her long silver hair falling around her face. Her shoulders shook slightly and she clenched the chair back until her fingers turned white for a moment before lifting it and swinging it around to hit all of the vases sitting on a long table underneath the window opposite to her. The vases flew off and hit the wood floor with a crash, broken porcelain, water and flowers scattering everywhere. The chair was released from her hands and flew across the room, crashing into a painting above the fireplace and breaking on the masonry. She began to bawl as loud as she could as she grabbed the edge of the couch and overturned it, the pillows and cushions on top of it scattering across the floor. She grabbed the edge of the small round table and flung it across the room with all of her might before doing the same on the long table. Every surface she'd put flowers on was next, and she swept it clean with a mighty swing of her arm. She stood in the middle of the now demolished room and gripped her hair at her scalp, making noises similar to that of a wounded animal before throwing her head back and screaming as loud as she could. Without thinking she whipped her hand around to hit the wall, the back of her flesh smacking against the window instead and getting cut as the plate glass broke with the force. Holding her hand in front of her, she bawled loudly at the sight of blood oozing in great gushes down her arm and onto the floor as she sunk to her knees. She fell heavily on her side and laid there, letting all of her anger and frustration over what had happened to her finally come out.

She woozily woke up again and stared sleepily at the ceiling of her bedroom. She sat up quickly, fully awake as she couldn't remember ever moving to her bed. Her hand had been bandaged but still throbbed in pain. She reached over the side of her bed to her stash of potions and found that Sharmin had taken the rest of them. _You told her to_. The voice of logic said in her head. The sound of pounding came from the living room and she swung her legs over the side of the bed, feeling strangely unafraid.

As she exited the bedroom she found that the glass had been cleaned up from the floor, and a piece of lightweight board now covered the window she had broken. A man with long white hair sat on the floor in front of the fireplace, pounding on the broken chair with a hammer. He had three nails stuck in his mouth and wore an expression of fierce concentration.

"Who are you?" She asked her eyes large. He looked up at her in surprise before making a pained noise and wincing. He pulled the nails from his mouth and felt the tip of his tongue, staring in displeasure at the color gracing his fingers when he inspected them.

"Just a random passerby." He answered, inspecting the repairs he'd done to the chair. "You had quite a tantrum here." He commented, fitting another piece of wood together and positioning a nail above it. Narlafayn blushed fiercely and clutched her arm at her bicep.

"That's none of your business." She mumbled. "How would you know I had a tantrum anyway?" she challenged, looking at him. He glanced at her briefly, and Narlafayn saw that he had a very beautiful face for a man, one that most women must fall for in an instant. Perhaps on a day when she wasn't recovering from an emotional strain she might've too, but today she felt nothing.

"Well, the farmer outside said that he heard some loud crashing in here when the last person to be in here with you had long since left, so what other reason could it have been?" he replied as he hammered. "Good thing I came when I did though, you cut yourself pretty bad on the window, you might've bled to death." Narlafayn said nothing, and sat down on the couch which he'd turned upright to watch him.

He was lean and muscular, and wore a tunic similar to a farmer. His hair was long, longer than she'd ever seen a man's hair before, and the ends were bound together in a similar fashion to what Shizuka wore. As he worked, she could almost make out the tips of a puckered scar gracing his throat, and she stared at it curiously. He looked up as she stared and blinked at her without expression.

"What is it?" he asked, reaching for another nail.

"What happened there?" she asked bluntly, pointing to the scar. He blinked in surprise and lifted a hand to it, as if shocked she could see it. He cleared his throat and returned to hammering a moment later, suddenly struck with nervousness.

"Fight with an ex girlfriend." He murmured, his ears turning pink. Narlafayn clamped her jaw shut at the sudden burst of laughter that came unbidden, the resulting noise a snort.

"Wow, you must've really pissed her off something fierce." She said, her voice wavering in amusement.

"Yeah…I got cocky." He admitted sheepishly, trying to hide his embarrassment by letting his hair fall over his face. Another moment of silence passed. "What was so bad that made you give up the sword and come live here?" he asked, not looking at her. "I saw your armor in the broom closet when I was looking for supplies to repair your mess with." He added as if he sensed the wide-eyed look she gave him.

"I don't really want to talk about it." She responded, standing and wandering over to one of the windows looking out to the ocean.

"What _do_ you want then; because it seems to me you're not satisfied with how things are now." He said wisely, looking at her again. Narlafayn sighed heavily and hugged herself, watching as another gull flew overhead and out over the water.

"I want to fly." She said wistfully, her face melancholy. She gasped shortly as the white-haired man was suddenly in front of her, his hair wafting around him as if moving in slow motion. His blue eyes bored intensely into hers, and Narlafayn was shocked to find that flecks of gold were sprinkled through the iris; like sunbeams in the sky.

"Then let's fly." He said in a voice that was soft like a comforting wind. There was a gust of wind inside the cabin and Narlafayn suddenly found herself flying away from it. She took a few panicked breaths, as she watched it grow smaller as she flew higher into the sky. Realizing there was an arm pressed against her waist, locking her tightly to a body next to her, she looked up with large eyes to find the white-haired man staring intensely into the sky as they climbed. He was now bare-chested and had large white wings on his back. Realizing in astonishment that her companion was a god, Narlafayn forced herself to look away from him and over the ocean that crashed beneath them.

They caught up to a flock of gulls, and the god (whom Narlafayn assumed was Sayha), slowed down the pace of flight to match theirs. He changed his grip on Narlafayn's waist to where she was below him, her arms and legs dangling. Joy filled her heart at being able to match the speed of the birds, and she extended her arms on either side of her and pretended she was one of them. Sayha changed his direction of flight without warning, and Narlafayn soon found herself climbing high into the air, above the clouds. She looked up at the god curiously, wondering why he was taking her so far into the air.

"Did you know…that your existence distresses my family?" he suddenly asked. The elation from earlier melted away from Narlafayn then, and dread began to settle itself in her chest. His words frightened her, and she suddenly wished she'd stayed in the cabin. "There's something about you that they fear. Only my elder sister and my father have realized you're here, but the others will known soon as well." He looked down at her, his face unreadable. "I was ordered by my sister to kill you on the spot, as you can cause trouble in her plans." He added. Narlafayn stared at him for a moment, then sighed in compliance, knowing that he'd come there to kill her.

"If my death is truly that necessary for the balance of the world, so be it." She said softly. Sayha lifted her up until she was eye-level with him, and stared at her, still without expression.

"What was your goal for this life? What did you intend to do when you first put your hand on a sword?" he asked her. "Power? Fame? Destruction?" he listed. Narlafayn opened her mouth and then shut it, unable to answer. Without warning he tossed her into the air as if she were a child, but did not catch her as she began to plummet back towards the earth.

Narlafayn watched as she soared through the clouds, her destination of landing a collection of spiked rocks jutting from the water. _What did I pick up the sword for?_ She wondered, feeling strangely at peace despite her impending doom_. Because Glarawen suggested it for me, right? Because I wanted to be strong enough to travel with her and be useful to her, and help her back where she helped me._ She shut her eyes against the onslaught of air for a moment before they snapped open again. _No, that's not right, that's not why I picked up a sword._ Memories from a world unlike the one she was in suddenly bombarded her psyche. She recalled a yearning for something that she lacked, a desire to know something that nobody would share with her.

"I wanted to find my parents." She said in breathless wonder. Knowing spread through her body and she was shocked that she'd forgotten about it. The rocks drew closer, and she winced her eyes shut and covered her head just as she thought she was going to hit.

No crushing pain ever met her body and Narlafayn lowered her arms to find that Sayha carried her once again, flying peacefully through the air. He set her down in the middle of an abandoned, ruined coliseum, and faced her.

"Why didn't you let me die?" she asked him. He reached up to cup her cheek and stroked her skin with his thumb, gazing at her through half-shut lids. "I thought you were going to kill me." She tried again, confused by his sudden affectionate gesture. He let his hand drop, his face now an expression of surprise.

"You really are immune to me." He said in fascination. Narlafayn blinked rapidly at the sudden childlike smile on his face. He took a step away from her, the smile turning friendly. "You recalled your true reason for your path of life, and thus became afraid of dying." He stated wisely. "Now that you remember what is was that you set out to do, weakness should no longer be an issue." He sighed and sat down heavily on one of the toppled pillars. "I knew your mother…" he began, leaning his elbows upon his knees. "…she would be very proud to see you like this; she always was strong." Narlafayn's jaw dropped open and she took a step towards Sayha.

"How….how is that possible? My parents…I was born in a different world than this one, how is it possible?" she breathed. Sayha looked up at her as if he was very tired, and it seemed to Narlafayn that he'd suddenly aged thirty years.

"I can't say any more." He said sadly. A few feathers detached themselves from his wings and floated gently to the ground. "My mother Einhasad instilled rules after the fall of the giants to prevent my siblings and I from directly manipulating mortal life, I am sorry I cannot tell you more." He smiled at her, wrinkles suddenly showing on his cheeks. "If I tell you any more my immortality shall be taken from me and you'll see nothing more than a fossilized creature sitting before you." Narlafayn felt pity for the fast aging god before her, and knelt down and placed a hand on his. What kind of malevolent god was this Einhasad? She seemed to cause more pain than anything, with the misery she saw those connected to her in.

"Why are you helping me like this? What have I done to deserve your attention differently than anyone else?" she asked softly, staring into his face. He shut his eyes and took a breath, the aging in his features reversing, youth being restored. He leaned forward and kissed her, and her eyes opened wide in shock.

"That will reveal itself in time, when we're not being watched." he said softly as he pulled away. "Don't act like I'm telling you this." He said, putting a hand on her cheek and keeping her face close to his as she attempted to look over her shoulder. "Just pretend I'm wooing you." Narlafayn swallowed and nodded, and put a hesitant hand on the god's cheek. She was surprised to find his skin cool, and his kiss felt like a rush of air more than a press of skin. "I have no answer to give you for your questions other than you are someone very important and dear to my daughter." He whispered. "Also, remember this name-Appylonia." A gust of wind suddenly blew into Narlafayn's face and she winced against it, the air stinging her eyes. She drew back from the god and rubbed her face vigorously, trying to encourage moisture to wet the now dry organs. She lowered her hands and blinked rapidly as the wind ceased, surprised to find that she was no longer in the abandoned coliseum, but standing in front of her cabin once more. The blue skirt and shirt she'd been wearing had been magically replaced by her Mithril armor, and she wore her sword and shield. Her travel pack sat peacefully by her feet, fully stocked and ready to go.

Frowning and thoroughly confused, Narlafayn wandered back to the cabin and pulled on the front door, only to find it locked. She scooted around to a window and peered inside, her breath steaming up the plate glass window.

Cobwebs covered everything inside, and there was a thick layer of dust everywhere, as if she'd never been there. Remnants of her temper tantrum remained, however, and there were dried flowers scattering the floor. Scratching the side of her nose, Narlafayn shrugged and retrieved her pack, feeling strangely refreshed and ready to return to the harshness of reality. _Guess I should thank that farmer for all of his help._ She decided, walking around the side of the house and towards his cabin. She froze in her path a moment later as his house was no longer there save for the remains of a fireplace and a foundation.

"You can see it now, huh?" the farmer's voice came from behind her. Narlafayn spun around and gasped. The farmer and his wife stood there, but their clothes were tattered and flesh half rotted away. She backed up a step, her hand instinctively going to her sword. "Hey now, we may look scary but we're still the same as always." The farmer chuckled. Narlafayn relaxed slightly, but didn't remove her hand from the hilt.

"Why are you…." She began, and then found herself unable to finish her question. The farmer chuckled again, and his wife took a step forward.

"We like to think of ourselves as fairy godparents." She began. She smiled, her rotted skin cracking and drooping in the movement. "Long ago, before even that city you know as the Ruins of Agony came to be, we were but a poor farming couple living along this coastline, eager to be the ones to start a new village. This was once to be a great place for a new town, before Gracia came and destroyed that city that is." She sighed heavily and patted her apron, dust rising from it. "We opened our hearts to a frightened young man covered in seawater one night. Poor boy was terrified of something he couldn't name, so my husband built him that cabin you stayed in as a place for him to recover. We shared our food, our clothes, even stories of our life with him. Sadly it wasn't what the boy desired, and once his crew found him again we were murdered for the little money and supplies we owned." She shook her head sadly.

"Guess that's what we get for housing the soon-to-be Grand Pirate, eh mama?" the farmer asked, patting his wife on the shoulder.

"He had such an angelic face too…" she sniffled, dabbing at her eye with a moth-eaten kerchief she produced from her apron pocket.

"Guess when that curse o' his activated, it got us too, cuz here we are!" the farmer said with a hearty laugh.

"That doesn't strike me as funny." Narlafayn stated, deadpan.

"Well, at first I can't say we were none to pleased, but ya learn to adapt. He wasn't the first traveler that came through here and needed a safe place to stay. That Grand Pirate's curse gave us some sort o' magic powers too, so we can create a little bit of a recuperative place for folk like you who've lost their direction in life." He smiled. "Like a magic land that little kids are spirited away to visit, once you get better the magic wears off, and everything returns to how it's supposed to be." He limped towards Narlafayn and patted her on her shoulder, his limb crackling and flaking in the movement. "So I guess this is goodbye then Miss Narla." His wife sniffled loudly and wiped her eyes again.

"You be sure to come back here if you feel sad again, alright?" the wife asked, giving Narlafayn a pleading look. "You were the nicest person to stay here yet, such wonderful company."

"Not at all like that Dark Elf." The farmer added blandly, and his wife nodded her agreement.

"Sure, I promise." She lied, making sure her face looked sincere. "I should get going though, thank you for all of your hospitality." She said politely. The farmer gave her another wistful smile and drew his arm away stiffly, which he placed around his wife's shoulders. Narlafayn turned her back on the undead pair and took a Gatekeeper scroll from her travel pack. She could hear their arms creak as they waved at her, and she broke the seal on the scroll as quickly as she could, eager to be away from them. "Oh…" she started, turning back to them. "Thank you for all of the flowers, they were all so very pretty." She said to the farmer. He looked at his wife, his face flaking as it creased in confusion.

"Those flowers didn't come from me." He said.

"Huh?" Narlafayn's jaw dropped as the scroll magic took effect, whisking her away from Windy Hill and back to Gludin's square.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

_In which Narlafayn returns to reality, and finds out just how much has changed. _

The first place Narlafayn decided to visit was the Clan Hall after she regained her senses upon appearing in Gludin. She had abandoned her crest when she had left Gludin last, but she was sure Inaphase or someone else she knew from the Clan would be there, and could fill her in on all that had happened.

"Hi, is Inaphase in?" she asked the Clan Hall doorman. He was a youthful man with neatly trimmed brown hair and had a polished appearance. He raised his nose in the air and sniffed indignantly, as if Narlafayn stank of rubbish.

"I serve Jabari, who is lord of the Creeping Fear clan. I do not know of this Inaphase that you speak of." He sniffed. "If you have no business with my master, I'll have you take your dirty self elsewhere."

Narlafayn blinked at him, dumbfounded, her smile dropping. "What…? Just a few months ago this Hall belonged to La Familia…" she protested. The doorman sniffed again in dismissal and looked away from her. Offended and embarrassed, Narlafayn turned away and walked back towards Gludin square, puzzling over the disappearance of La Familia. _Maybe he got a new clan hall somewhere else and sold this one…_ she wondered. She watched the stone tiled ground beneath her as she tried to think of which city Inaphase was most likely to move the Clan Hall to. She had no desire to return to La Familia, but she wanted to check up on everyone.

"OUCH!" a girl yelped as Narlafayn's shoulder guard scraped into her. She whipped around, wide eyed. "Watch where you're going you pigeon toed halfwit!" the girl snapped. Narlafayn blinked in shock as a very angry Shizuka was revealed to be the owner of the voice. Shizuka rubbed her arm then glanced up at Narlafayn, a very hateful, very frightening expression gracing her usually serene features. It faded as she recognized Narlafayn, as if someone had flipped a switch inside of her. "Oh, Narlafayn." She said, her voice suddenly taking on the airiness that Narlafayn remembered. She grinned sweetly and rubbed her arm again. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that was you, that kind of hurt!" she giggled.

"Um…sorry." Narlafayn grunted. She was unsure if she were more shocked that such an insult had come from Shizuka or because Shizuka had that extensive of a vocabulary. Shizuka bopped the side of her head and stuck her tongue out at Narlafayn, her cheeks pink in embarrassment.

"Have you seen Vuylay-sama?" she asked sweetly, walking next to her as Narlafayn continued through the square.

"No I haven't…" Narlafayn responded; worry suddenly knotting in her stomach as she remembered what Sharmin had told her.

"Hmmm." Shizuka said thoughtfully, putting a finger to her chin as she glanced to the sky. "Vuylay-sama always did like to play hide and go seek…I wonder where she could've gone…" she wondered, tapping her chin.

"How do you guys know each other anyway?" Narlafayn asked, looking at the pink-haired elf. Her eyes snapped open wide and she stopped walking. She looked at Narlafayn with a hunted animal look, visibly trying to think of a way to respond.

"Vuylay-sama is my other half." she finally said, repeating what Vuylay had said the first time they had met.

"There you are!" Ryonai exclaimed as he jogged up to them. He was breathless, as if he'd been running for a long time. "Whoa, Narlafayn." he stated in muted surprise, and then turned back to Shizuka, whom he gathered into his arms and kissed. Narlafayn made a disgusted noise and averted her eyes, trying not to look at them. "What brings you back to Gludin?" Ryonai asked after coming up for air.

"Well I was going to locate my old clan, but it seems they've moved…" Narlafayn began, scratching her neck. "That guy acts like he's never heard of TGS or La Familia." She motioned to the doorman, who was bowing courteously to a dwarf and opening the door for him.

"Moved? They haven't moved, they dissipated." Ryonai said, handing Shizuka a travel pack. Narlafayn's jaw dropped open and she stared at him in shock. "You mean you didn't know?" he asked in surprise.

"I was a little out of it for a few months." She answered, glancing away from him with a grim expression. "Now what do I do." She muttered, crouching to the ground. She traced a finger on a stone and pondered her next course of action, suddenly feeling like a lost child.

"You can come to Gludio with us; I was going to meet one of my clan mates there." Ryonai offered.

"Oh yes, that will be so much fun! Where Narlafayn goes, Vuylay-sama is sure to follow!" Shizuka said happily, bouncing on her toes and clapping lightly like a child. Ryonai visibly tensed and turned his head stiffly to look at Shizuka.

"Maybe we don't want to travel together after all…" he said in a strained voice. Shizuka giggled and latched onto Ryonai's arm, bouncing against it.

"Aw, c'mon Ryonai! We haven't played with Vuylay-sama in over a year! Don't you miss our games?" she cooed. Narlafayn and Ryonai's eyes dotted, for vastly different reasons, and Narlafayn cleared her throat.

"I'd rather not play those games again." Ryonai rasped, suddenly looking ragged.

"Should I ask?" Narlafayn questioned.

"No." Ryonai responded quickly. He slouched where he stood, his cheeks looking gaunt. Narlafayn coughed again, trying not to think of what could have possibly transpired between the two elves and the human.

They left Gludin a bit later, Ryonai needing some time to recover from whatever his memory resurfaced. His recovery methods however, seemed to be taking Shizuka, leaning her against the back of a building, and making out with her for an hour straight. Narlafayn wondered how he could go so long without air. As they walked towards Gludio, Narlafayn sized up her companions, curiously taking in how they'd changed.

Shizuka was still the same as always; the only things that were even a little different on her was that she now wore richly embroidered teal Karmian robes and her hair had grown a little longer. Ryonai had changed the most; his face had matured, his boyish charm replaced by one of a strikingly handsome man. He wore silver full plate armor, which showed signs of extreme wear.

"You look dignified." Narlafayn commented, returning her focus to the path ahead of them.

"Yep yep yep…Paladins always do." Ryonai agreed, stretching his arms over his head.

"What made you decide to become a Paladin?" Narlafayn asked, glancing at him. She was mildly surprised to hear of his new profession; she thought for certain that he'd become something more along the lines of a Dark Avenger, not a Paladin. It didn't fit his personality.

Ryonai shrugged, "I happened across Sir Aron while traveling, and it seemed like a good idea." He stretched his arms again, and then lazily draped one over Shizuka's shoulders.

"You became a Paladin because it seemed like a good idea." Narlafayn repeated, monotone.

Ryonai nodded and raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't most people choose their direction off of what's convenient?" he asked curiously. Narlafayn's eyes dotted as she stared at him.

"Ryonai is a fighting genius!" Shizuka bubbled. "Sir Cedric said that he was second to Leon in fighting expertise!" she giggled and hugged Ryonai fiercely, her chin clunking against his breastplate.

"A prodigy, huh?" Narlafayn said flatly. It all suddenly made sense to her. She traveled in silence for a few more miles, half listening to Ryonai and Shizuka's conversations. Ryonai's clan, Haibane, seemed to be growing slowly; the leader was extremely picky on whom he gathered. He paused to offer her another invitation into the clan, but Narlafayn politely refused, still not desiring to jump back into the world of Clan Politics.

They spent two nights outdoors, and on the third day Ryonai halted them just outside of the Abandoned Camp. From there they opened Gatekeeper scrolls, and Narlafayn was once again in Gludio. Narlafayn sighed and she glanced around the brown buildings and houses, relieved that nothing changed.

"We're going to go get a room. See you around?" Ryonai said, tapping her arm. Narlafayn nodded and smiled at him in gratitude

"Thanks for the company." She said. Ryonai blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his head, trying to act cool to cover up his sudden shyness.

"No problem. Just join my friggen clan eventually, alright? I'm tired of being the only tank." He grumbled. Narlafayn laughed and waved as he and Shizuka walked towards the inn holding hands. She sighed heavily and let her hand drop as soon as they were out of sight.

"Must be nice." She thought aloud in reference to the closeness that Shizuka and Ryonai shared. "Ah well." She shrugged, and turned to browse the wares the merchants had set up. She wasn't sure where she was going to go from there, but she figured eavesdropping in the square and later in the inn would help her locate her missing former clan mates. After purchasing some more soul shot, Narlafayn wandered towards the Dark Elf guild out of habit, hoping that she'd find Vuylay but knowing in reality she wouldn't. A body darted out of the guild as she passed, bumping into her and causing her to stumble. A hand caught her before she fell, supporting her at the small of her back.

"We just seem to keep running into each other. How quaint, although quite useful." Vlad stated professionally. Not realizing she had been wincing, Narlafayn cracked one eye open to find the Gladiator staring down at her with a frightening sort of glee. She righted herself quickly and stepped away from him

"Thanks?" she said, not comfortable with his analytical stare.

"You seem to be coherent now, that's good." Vlad nodded, putting a hand to his chin in thought. "I was hoping I'd run into you, come with me." He motioned for her to follow him and led the way into the inn. After ordering a pint of mead for himself, he settled himself at a table and pointed to the chair across from him. "Have a seat." He commanded lightly. Unsure of why she followed him in the first place, Narlafayn sat uncertainly, jamming her hands under her thighs as if to protect them from harm.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" she asked, leaning away from him as he continued to stare at her thoughtfully.

"I see that Amari got someone to heal your wounds. Must've been someone expensive, not a scar left." He began in a casual tone. Narlafayn tilted her head at him in confusion, but he continued before she could ask what he was talking about. "You're lucky I happened across you and your playmates in Cruma Marshlands when I did, otherwise I would've never discovered your blood condition." He said with an almost feral grin. Narlafayn noticed he had sharpened canines, like a vampire. She vaguely recalled that Dark Elves also had such a trait as well, and then scolded herself for thinking of the race.

"Wait, what? What blood condition?" Narlafayn came back to reality and frowned as his words worked through her thoughts. "And what do you mean my playmates in Cruma? I was almost killed!" A knot tightened in her chest as she recalled that afternoon, and her hands gripped the sides of her chair.

"Exactly!" he stated as if she had finished an equation for him. He took a healthy drink of mead before setting the mug down heavily. "Don't know about your blood condition, eh? Not surprising, although it is intriguing how you've never destroyed anything before with it. I'm sure you've been injured quite a few times as a swordswoman, not to mention your ah...female mystery condition that plagues you each month."

"Excuse me?" Narlafayn exclaimed, embarrassed that he'd bring up such a thing in public. Her temper flaring she jutted her chin towards him and asked "What's such a mystery about it, all I do is…"

"Stop right there." Vlad held up a hand in front of her face, her eyes crossing to look at it. "It's a mystery because I _like_ it to be that way. Be nice and don't spoil it for me, hmm?" he lowered his hand as she shut her mouth quickly, her teeth clicking. "That's better. Now back to your blood condition. I'd like to study it more, but I need you to donate some of your blood to me. From your veins please." He stated, reaching into his travel pack and pulling out a bottle. "I don't need much, just a gallon or so." He attempted to grin in a friendly manner, but it ended up more predatory. Narlafayn scooted her chair away from the table, staring at him in bewilderment.

"JUST a GALLON?" she repeated in disbelief. "What do you need that much blood for?" she shook her head to dismiss the question before he could answer it. "That would kill me you psychopath!" Vlad raised his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly as if she'd given him a surprise compliment instead of an insult.

"You're resilient, I thought elves bounced." He replied calmly, still holding out the bottle.

"You're sick." Narlafayn said in a low, disgusted tone. Vlad blinked again and looked at the table, his lips pursing as if he were considering what she said.

"Again someone calls me Sick. He must've been a more popular fellow than I had thought. Never thought of him as much of a womanizer though." Vlad said in thought once more. "Anyway, back to the blood. I can give you a little cut on your neck, right on that big vein there. You'll pass out within moments, but then you won't have to suffer through the blood donation. Don't worry, I'll be a good guy for once and buy you some juice afterwards so you can recover quickly. Sound like a good deal?" he asked. Narlafayn stared at him, incredulous and wide-eyed, not believing he was serious. She pushed her chair back quickly, bumping into a person as they passed behind her. She turned in her seat to apologize, and then jumped up as she found Mad Midget behind her.

"Mad!" she exclaimed, pulling the chair off of the Dwarf's foot. He winced and looked up at her as if he didn't know her. "It's me, Narlafayn?" she prompted.

"Narla…" he repeated, scratching the inside of his nostril. "Oh! Glarawen's shadow. How have you been?" he asked with a smile. Narlafayn's face darkened for a moment at the title he'd given her before returning his expression.

"I'm ok now…where is everyone? I went back to Gludin and the Clan Hall is gone." She said, relief flooding her senses. She wasn't sure if she could've handled being alone with the mental Gladiator for much longer.

"You must've been out of the loop for awhile, I thought everyone knew." Mad stated in surprise. "Inaphase was arrested; apparently his girlfriend did some illegal activities under his name and got him pegged. We don't know where he was sent or if he's even alive still. Sad, huh?" he said grimly. Narlafayn's mouth dropped open, not believing this news. "So yep, La Familia is no more." He shook his head sadly. Narlafayn sighed, feeling pity for Inaphase, and then perked up again as she noticed a blue crest sticking out of Mad's armor.

"What's that?" she asked curiously. He looked down at it as if forgetting it was there.

"Oh that! Arvalo and Glarawen reformed a clan with us loyal people from La Familia and TGS. They're meeting in Dion for a strategy meeting, you should come along." He said. "I'm sure Glarawen would be happy to see you again." He added.

"Clan strategy…you going to war?" Vlad suddenly asked. Narlafayn jumped slightly, having forgotten the Gladiator was listening attentively.

"You in a clan?" he asked in response, sizing him up. Vlad stared at him without expression and pulled out the familiar rosy crest of Ryonai's clan Haibane. "Never seen that one before, you must be teeny tiny." Mad stated thoughtfully, scratching his chin.

"Yes well, I'm more of a come and go type of member. I don't stick around long enough to get involved in politics." Vlad responded, putting the crest back inside of his armor. "Too much hassle to get involved that deeply if you ask me." Mad sighed and patted his armor over his stomach, before reaching into it and pulling out a pipe. He took a seat in the third chair set at the table and lit it as Narlafayn reseated herself.

"We're teaming up with an alliance that Arvalo is trying to get in with to siege Oren Castle. We've been at odds with the Conviction Alliance for quite some time, and now we have a chance to show those bastards what we're made of." He chuckled.

"Conviction has Oren?" Narlafayn responded in surprise.

"Yup, for six months now. They've hiked the tax up so greatly that families hardly have enough to feed themselves. They lowered the amount of codas they're accepting per month, and many families have either moved out or died because of it." Mad sighed heavily and shook his head as he took a drag off of his pipe. He let it out slowly, the smoke swirling around them.

Codas were a strange fruit that farmers and adventurers alike harvested from monsters. Bait was set out in food or thrown at the creature in a powder that they inhaled. The creature usually went comatose after the seed took root, and died as the plant grew, feeding off of their body. The germination cycle only took a day, but it was said to be difficult to plant the seeds in the first place. There was a Manor Manager who lived out of a wagon parked in every town that would buy the coda fruit crop off of the farmers, and give supplies and Dwarven smith materials in exchange. Narlafayn wasn't sure what Codas were used for, but she hoped it wasn't to eat, as the seeds could just as easily take root inside an Elf, Orc, Dwarf or Human just as easily as it did the beasts and demons. Not even the Castle Lords were sure what the Codas were used for, as most of their crops were sent to the Ivory Tower in exchange for small sums of money. The rest of their money came from taxing the land, something that far too many clans did eagerly.

"I wondered why it stank of death over there." Vlad stated thoughtfully. "I'll have to mosey on over, might be able to find something to experiment with." He tapped his chin as he considered this, earning another look of disgust from Narlafayn.

"You sound like a Necromancer." She said, wrinkling her nose.

"Do watch your language." Vlad said smoothly as if she had cussed at him. He took another drink of mead, still lost in thought.

"Anyway, Arvalo sent out a request for anyone left of La Familia to head over to Dion. Manhattan Project isn't that big yet, and he needs all of the help he can get." Mad stated, tapping his pipe on the edge of the table to empty it. The smoldering ember fell to the wood floor and he stomped on it to douse it as he pushed himself off of his chair. Narlafayn chewed her lip for a moment, her mind alive with thought.

"I'll help." She stated firmly, standing as well.

"Great!" Mad said, smiling.

"Puerile." Vlad muttered. Narlafayn and Mad looked at him, Narlafayn's expression one of annoyance. He looked between the Dwarf and Elf as if surprised by their reaction and shrugged. "She looks far too weak to be of use in battle." He said to Mad, as if explaining himself.

"I didn't ask for your opinion." Narlafayn grumbled, pushing her chair in and hefting her travel pack over her shoulder. Vlad shrugged again.

"I could care less what your decision is, I'm just saying you're probably making the wrong choice in the matter." He drained his mug in one gulp and set it down heavily. "Just be sure that if you do get injured gravely, you put some blood in this for me, alright?" he said, pushing the empty bottle towards her. Narlafayn seethed for a moment and then spun on her heel, marching out of the inn. Vlad watched her go in surprise, and then shrugged at Mad Midget. "I don't get women. Here I was being a gentleman too."

After restocking her supplies, Narlafayn met up with Mad Midget and an orange haired dwarf named Davil, who waited by the east gate for her. They journeyed to Dion on foot, trying to save their money for their trip to Oren.

Narlafayn vaguely remembered Davil from La Familia. She was an Artisan who had a penchant for charging into battle, but turning and running the instant someone noticed her. Mad Midget often complained about her cowardice before, and she was surprised they were traveling together now.

They entered Dion a week after leaving Gludio, and found the place to be a flurry of activity. Narlafayn broke out in a wide smile as she spotted Glarawen standing near Arvalo, who was talking to a sorcerer with shoulder length shaggy brown hair. She wore the Avadon robes that Arvalo had given her years before now, and Narlafayn giggled as she realized Arvalo was wearing the same, only in the male style.

"Hi Glara." Narlafayn said in a low voice into Glarawen's ear. She gasped loudly and spun her eyes wide as she laid eyes on Narlafayn.

"NARLA! OH MY GOD!" Glarawen squealed, latching onto her. Narlafayn choked lightly as Glarawen squeezed her around her shoulders as tight as she could. "Where have you been? 'Valo and I were wondering where you went!" she sniffled. Narlafayn smiled thinly and patted the trembling Elder on her back, but decided not to tell her about the attack in Cruma. She suddenly recalled Vlad talking about it intelligently, as if he had seen it himself. She inwardly cursed herself as she had been so taken by his request for her blood that she forgot to ask him about it.

"Darling, I think you're choking her." Arvalo commented, lightly placing his hands on Glarawen's shoulders and pulling her away. Narlafayn swallowed the amused grin, realizing that Arvalo was jealous of Glarawen showing enthusiastic attention to someone else. "It's good to see you're still alive, Narlafayn." Arvalo said with a friendly smile. Narlafayn nodded at him, and then glanced at the Sorcerer looking at her with a lazy grin on his face. Her smile dropped and her eyes bugged out of her head.

"Tex?" she exclaimed, shocked that he was in sorcerer robes instead of the silver armor she'd seen him in last.

"Shh!" Arvalo hissed as Tex looked around himself nervously. "He's Luther now, not Tex." Arvalo said in a whisper. "He was attacked by a Mirror in the Forest of Mirrors and it did something to his mind. After he woke up he proclaimed he was Luther McVandross and that he was a sorcerer." Narlafayn's mouth dropped open in an o shape as she stared at him in pity. He gave her is signature lazy grin and winked at her.

"He still has all of his memories as Tex, but he thinks he was Luther all of those times, and that he fought with magic instead of swords." Glarawen said in pity. She then broke into a grin and bumped shoulders with Narlafayn coyly. "So that means he still remembers you~ Narla." She said with a wicked smile on her face. Narlafayn blushed and looked down at her hands, weaving them together.

"We still think it was all of those plants finally doing him in, that Mirror's attack shouldn't have affected him that much." Arvalo sighed, shaking his head as the man formerly known as Tex wandered over towards them.

"Narla McFayn, how be you?" he asked, taking her hand and kissing it. Narlafayn blushed again and drew it away shyly, not sure how she should act towards him now. "What brings you here, you going to help us kill some Conviction bastards?" he put a heavy arm across her shoulders, and Narlafayn felt some relief that not everything had changed drastically.

"Oh Narla, you came to help? Do you want in the new Clan?" Glarawen asked enthusiastically, taking one of Narlafayn's hands and bouncing. Trying to ignore the guilt that gnawed at her insides as she remembered turning Ryonai's invitation down she nodded at the Elder with a nervous smile.

"Excellent." Luther said, handing Narlafayn a crest. She stowed it inside of her armor, anticipation rising as she began to realize she'd officially signed herself up for the siege.

"Great, we could use a Temple Knight." Arvalo stated in approval. Again Narlafayn blushed and she cleared her throat.

"I'm still just a regular Elven Knight…" she admitted sheepishly. Arvalo's eyes opened in surprise and he looked at Glarawen who shrugged. "I was kind of out of sorts for a few months…" she tried to explain, and then stopped as her voice sounded too feeble to be believable.

"That's alright, I'm sure you'll still do well. Just stay near Glara and I." Arvalo recovered, smiling again.

"She can stay with me." Luther offered with a grin. Arvalo lifted an eyebrow and Glarawen giggled lightly.

"She'd really get killed then, you have a tendency to get too caught up in the fight and start killing everyone around you." Arvalo stated deadpan. "She'll be fine if she keeps up with us. You'll do that, right Narla?" he asked, looking at her.

"Yeah." She promised.

"You're not just in this to spy for Conviction again, are you?" Davil asked from behind them. They all turned to look at her in surprise, not realizing she'd been there.

"Despite what it might have looked like, I never spied for Conviction." Narlafayn said firmly, glaring down at the short Dwarf. "I have a few loose ends to tie up with some assholes though; this will be a good chance to get that done." She added, recalling Damascus' response to her after the attack in Cruma.

"Great, we're going to rest here for a few more days and then we'll head to Oren. We'll lend you some money for a Gatekeeper spell, as you would've had to leave a week ago to hoof it there." Arvalo said in a deciding tone. "Take it easy until then." He put his arm around Glarawen and wandered away towards the Inn. She had her head laid heavily on his shoulder, and Narlafayn could almost see comical hearts flying out of their auras.

"Makes you puke, doesn't it?" Luther said, shaking his head. Narlafayn lifted a hand to her face and giggled her agreement with him. She gave him a playful look and opened her mouth to ask him if he would like to spend some catch-up time with her, but shut it again as she found him staring at something behind them. "I'll be right back, k?" he said, squeezing her shoulder before jogging away.

Narlafayn followed him as he went around to the back of a row of houses, and spoke in a low voice to a man wearing a heavy jacket. He handed Luther a strange looking plant, which Luther gave him several gold pieces in return for. She frowned as he stuck it into his mouth and began to chew eagerly, wandering up towards the church with his arms folded behind his head.

"Likes plants, huh." She murmured, slightly annoyed. She shook her head and sighed, wandering towards the inn herself to eat, bathe and find a room to rest in for the night. She paused before entering, looking up to the roof of the building in memory. So many life-changing things had happened to her while being in Dion, she wasn't sure if she liked the town any more or not. Sighing again, she shifted her pack on her shoulder and entered, firmly reminding herself that she was different from that time. She was stronger now that she remembered her original reason for fighting. Comforted by this, she entered bravely, ready to face whatever the future was going to bring her.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

_In which Narlafayn enters her first siege, and a mysterious stranger becomes known._

It was early morning three days later when Manhattan Project finally left Dion for Oren. Arvalo and Glarawen funded many of the members' trip from Dion to Giran, including Narlafayn's. From Giran they all approached the Priest representing the Lords of Dawn and gained a special transport to the Catacomb of the Apostate from where they began their trek through the Timak Orc Outpost to Oren.

Narlafayn hadn't seen much of Luther since her arrival, and Glarawen and Arvalo always seemed to be too focused on one another to be much of social companions. She spent most of her time preparing her weapons, armor and provisions for the trip, and found a few hours to return to hunting the Enku Orcs and Hobgoblins that roamed near town. Now that they were marching towards Oren, Narlafayn couldn't see any of her friends at all, as they were stronger and at the front lines leading everyone towards battle.  
The journey was quiet, everyone pensive and tense for the nearing fight. Narlafayn learned through talking with the others in the clan that Arvalo had never led a group to battle before, and that this was a new experience for all of them. It seemed that they were getting their orders from the clan they were assisting upon arrival. Narlafayn couldn't help but feel nervous over the whole idea; Vlad's words still sounding clearly through her mind.  
They arrived in Oren at night and began to set up camp outside of town on the outskirts of the Timak Outpost. Undoubtedly Conviction knew they were there, but didn't seem to be brave enough to strike while the caravan was resting. Arvalo met up with the leader of the clan they were to assist with a strong handshake, and they disappeared into a tent to talk. Narlafayn watched people talk around their small campfires with a thin smile for a moment, and then wandered towards Oren, curious if she could sneak in to restock.  
As she neared the long path leading up to the stonewalled city, a red-haired youth suddenly jumped out from behind a bush, an arrow pulled taut in his bow. Narlafayn instinctively pulled her sword and held her shield up, ready for his attack. None came, and the youth stared at her wide-eyed, his arrow shaking with his nervousness.  
"S-stay there!" the boy commanded, fear apparent in his voice. "I-I was commanded to take down anyone in Manhattan Project who tries to enter Oren!" he exclaimed. Narlafayn's legs tensed and she stared at him seriously, her hand tightly gripping the hilt of her sword. The boy was so scared she felt pity for him.  
"Simon, stand down." A gentle, yet commanding voice came. Narlafayn relaxed slightly, her eyes large as she recognized the voice.  
"Leon?" she asked, incredulous. The blonde youth emerged into the dim moonlight, his expression matching hers.  
"Narla? What are you doing here?" he exclaimed, sheathing his own sword. He wore silver armor like Ryonai's, only less worn. "Where have you been? I've tried to get in contact with you for several months now but nobody seemed to know where you went." He hugged her lightly, beaming like a child.  
"My Clan…" Narlafayn began, then stopped herself and pulled away from him, one hand over her mouth.  
"Uh oh." Leon grimaced as Narlafayn tried to stow her clan crest deeper into her breastplate. "I see you're still wearing my Mithril. Are you even a Temple Knight yet?" he suddenly asked, worry creasing his face. Narlafayn looked away from him, sheepish.  
"No, not quite yet." she said uneasily. Leon made a noise of frustration and walked over to a tall pine tree, which he punched with his hand.

"And they're making you fight?" he groaned, leaning his head on his hand. Feeling slightly offended, Narlafayn put her hands on her hips and glared at her long time friend.  
"What's that supposed to mean? Just because I'm not a Temple Knight yet doesn't mean I'm not capable." she said, letting her annoyance show. Leon looked at her weakly and sighed heavily.  
"I don't doubt that you aren't capable Narla, it's just that..." Leon sighed and put a hand on Simon's head. The youth still looked frightened, and clutched his bow to his chest tightly. "You don't know what you're going up against over there. Conviction is not a weak alliance; they'll eat you up before you can get past the outer castle walls." He said grimly. "I've had enough of senseless slaughter, me and some of my clan mates are booking it from the siege tonight. I'd recommend you do the same." He gave her a look of sadness, and Narlafayn's heart went out to him. Leaving an alliance like that was a dangerous decision, and usually meant certain death once the alliance discovered you were missing.  
"I'll be fine; I can take care of myself." She attempted to assure him with a smile. Leon made another noise of frustration and stood in front of her, his expression now one of anger.  
"Don't be so naïve, Narla! That is not a typical day on the hunt! People go up there and die within seconds; you can't possibly think you'll take care of yourself!" He latched onto her in a fierce hug. "You've been my friend for too long, I don't want you killing yourself over something as stupid as this feud." He said, his voice cracking. Narlafayn reached up and patted him on the shoulders, then pulled him away to put a comforting hand on his cheek. His worry touched her, and she found that she wanted to abandon this fight just as much as he did.  
"I'll go find Arvalo and tell him I can't do it, I'm sure he'll understand. He's a good guy." Narlafayn promised. Leon took a composing breath and nodded. "I'll find you later, say…in Giran?" She smiled as he pulled away from her and retreated back to his clan mates.  
"Giran it is then. Take care until then." Leon agreed, and then disappeared into the shadows around the trees. She watched until she could see movement no longer, then sighed and returned to camp.

Unfortunately, Narlafayn was unable to locate Arvalo, Glarawen or even Luther the rest of the night, and soon found herself amongst the ranks preparing to enter the battlefield. She finally spied the Spellsinger speaking once again to the allied clan leader, and pushed her way towards him.  
"Arvalo, I have something I want to talk to you about." she began, wincing as someone elbowed her in the side. Arvalo held up a hand as he finished his conversation, and then turned to look at her seriously.  
"Good, glad I got to see you before we begin, Narla." Arvalo stated.  
"Yeah, I've got something to tell you…" she attempted again.  
"Be sure to stay near us as we go in, and chop down everything in sight. Those are your orders for this siege. If you follow them you should do fine." He interrupted her, his tone of voice professional.  
"But I..."  
"Don't worry, you'll do fine, just stay near Glara and I." He said with a smile, patting her on the back. He walked away from her after that and back to the allied clan leader, where they continued to talk. Narlafayn blew her hair from her face in frustration, not pleased with how things turned out. _I suppose I could always just ditch_. she thought, and then felt guilty for not telling someone that she was going to leave. _Sorry Leon_. She apologized in her head. Sighing heavily, she leaned against the tree, waiting for the battle to begin.

"What was that?"

Aaliyah, fiancée to the leader of the Conviction alliance, pushed herself up from the bed at the sound of her companion's voice. She listened for a moment, the sounds of battle shouts faint from where they were in the inner castle. She made a disgusted noise and stretched, unintimidated by the sound of it.

"Just those idiots from that clan with the white crest attempting to siege us again." She said in a bored tone. "No big deal, we're safe back here, they'll never make it this far." She made a purring noise and slid over to the man who was not her fiancée and slid her arms around his shoulders. "And we can stay back here and do whatever we want as that idiot of a fiancée will be so preoccupied with that siege he'll never notice I'm gone." She rested her head on the back of his neck with that and snuggled. Her companion pulled away abruptly and darted for his clothes, attempting to shove his legs into his trousers as fast as he could. "Hey!" she exclaimed, offended.

"Crap there's a siege?" he said more than asked as he struggled with the black leggings that went over his trousers. "I gotta get out of here." He murmured.

"Aw, don't be such a coward; it doesn't suit your mysterious looks." Aaliyah pouted. She reached a hand out to him. "Come back to bed, we'll be safe." Her companion paused and gave her an expressionless look before grabbing his armor and assembling it to his body.

"I'd rather not risk it and be skewered by legions of your clan mates." He took her hand after finishing with his armor and kissed it. "Thanks for the good time, I'll try to remember to come back and do this again." He said before darting out of the bedroom.

"What do you mean you'll 'try to remember'? Aaliyah huffed. "Hey! Come back here, what did you mean by that?" she shouted. He paused and peered back in at her, giving her a suave grin.

"Fine, I'll just go relieve myself and come back. Make sure you put yourself in the position you want me to do you in and shut your eyes reeeeally tight, ok?" he winked. Assured by this, she grinned seductively and hopped out from under the covers as he darted out of sight.

Aaliyah's companion (who was a Dark Elf of course) darted along the upper path of the inner castle, using the shadows that lined the walls to his advantage. It was hot and stuffy inside the inner castle; it seemed that the leader of Conviction had called every member of his alliance to arms. There would be no easy escape through the castle tonight. Glancing around quickly, he spied a guard standing near the exit that led to the walls. Two human bishops wandered past him as he hid in the shadows, and he reached out to snag the crest off of one of them. Being incredibly swift with his hands was something he always prided himself on, and the girl didn't even notice her crest slipping away. Grinning to himself, he polished his nails for a second before fitting the crest onto his arm and walking bravely up to the guard.

"Hey man, how's it goin?' he asked casually. The guard, who seemed to be of the Warlord class judging by the spear he held, narrowed his eyes at the Dark Elf. "Listen man, I think something's wrong with Aaliyah, you might want to go check on her." He said in a low voice. "Don't want anything happening to her on the eve of battle, y'know?" The guard's look turned skeptical and he relaxed a bit. "Hey, don't get me wrong, I'd be happy to go check on her, but I don't think our esteemed leader trusts a Dark Elf with his woman, y'know what I'm saying?" he said, raising his hands. The guard thought for a moment, then nodded and wandered off to the Lord's bedroom. The Dark Elf watched him depart for a moment before snickering to himself and darting out the archway connecting the inner castle with the walls.

He dashed across the castle walls silently, his dual swords clinking lightly against his legs as he ran. Archers patrolled the walls, but paid no attention to him as soon as they saw the pilfered crest on his arm. The sounds of battle grew louder as he neared the front gate, and he felt the Dark Elf bloodlust attempt to rise within him.

"Out first, then we'll go kill something." He told his instincts.

"They're breaking through!" someone from the front gate shouted before an arrow penetrated through his neck. The Dark Elf skidded to a halt, his eyes wide. So much for _that _exit.

"Dammit, how are they doing it? There's a ton more of us than there are of them!" the archer next to the Dark Elf griped. The Dark Elf peered over the side of the castle wall cautiously, his eyes widening at what he saw.

Narlafayn stood just out of range of the archers from the wall as Arvalo waited for the signal for the second wave to charge into the castle. A wyvern screeched overhead, and Glarawen gasped, but the beast was brought down before it could do battle through the combined efforts of Arvalo and several other magic users.

"This is scary, isn't it?" Glarawen asked Narlafayn, trying to smile despite the war around her. Narlafayn could only slightly nod, adrenaline causing the muscles in her entire body to coil tightly. She was afraid she would explode if she spoke.

"There's Mad's signal, lets go!" Arvalo shouted as a Dwarven firework exploded in the sky. He let out an advancing shout, which was echoed amongst the rest.

"Stay near!" Glarawen murmured to Narlafayn as they began to move. Narlafayn swallowed, her throat suddenly dry as they raced across the field to the broken castle doors. Arrows rained down on them, several people around her getting pierced with them and falling. One skimmed right through her back plate from above, never wounding her skin, and she wanted to laugh at the irony of it. Focusing on the back of Glarawen's head, she followed the Elder through the gates and around the wall towards the Inner Castle. Bodies littered the ground everywhere, and the air stank of blood.

"Glara!" Narlafayn shouted, loosing sight of the Elder in the sea of bodies that suddenly rushed past her in a wave. She dodged people as they stopped to fight in the inner courtyard, trying to find Glarawen and Arvalo again. An arrow pinged off of her shield and she looked around wildly, trying to find its source.

On the wall, the Dark Elf dropped the Plainswalker that had shot the arrow off the other side of the wall, a deep sword wound in his side. Still holding the bloodied sword that had performed the deed, he watched as the Manhattan Project group continued with an unreadable expression. The wind blew his hair from his face, bringing with it the scent of rain, and he looked up to the sky to find it darkening with clouds.

The rain began almost instantly, and Narlafayn found herself sliding on the muddied ground. The Inner Castle doors were in sight, and she raced towards them, seeing Arvalo and Glarawen at the front, fighting people.

"Pull back!" Arvalo suddenly shouted as Narlafayn neared. The doors were swinging open slowly, and she had but a moment to glimpse the multitude of Conviction members packed within the inner castle before a sword stabbed her through her shoulder. She cried out and dropped her own sword, and looked up to find Damascus staring at her without pity.

"I don't know what you think you're accomplishing here, Narla, but you're way too weak to even hope to survive a battle against us." He said darkly, pulling his blade free. Narlafayn stumbled backwards, one hand to her shoulder as blood spilled through the broken armor. A Dark Elf Bladedancer behind him did a strange spinning dance, the air around her suddenly turned to poison. Her body reeled as the poison took affect, and she struggled to stand upright. Through blurred double vision she saw Damascus exchange his sword for a heavy mace, which he brandished, ready to hit her. Narlafayn held up a hand weakly, as if to stop him, her legs suddenly giving away beneath her and the world going black.

The flat of a sword parried the hit from Damascus' mace, catching the heavy iron tool underneath its head. Damascus pulled back slightly in surprise to see the Dark Elf that had stood on the walls watching the skirmish in front of him now, holding the unconscious Narlafayn with one arm and blocking his attack with the other.

"I'll get him." The Dark Elf accompanying Damascus, who went by the name of Sainty, said. He jumped around Damascus and began swinging his dual blades at the Dark Elf, who merely parried each attack as he took steps backwards, away from the Inner Castle.

"Sainty, get back, he's luring you out!" Damascus roared over the shouts of fighting. He charged out just as Luther, standing unnoticed to the side; cast a spell that set Sainty on fire. Damascus swung a heavy two-handed sword that had been secured to his back at the Dark Elf, who merely jumped backwards lightly and out a hole the attacking clan had made in the wall. Damascus glared and spit angrily as they departed, while Sainty rolled on the ground, screaming like a girl as he attempted to put the fire out.

Narlafayn faded in and out of consciousness as the Dark Elf carried her. Cool air caressed her face, removing the scent of battle and replacing it with the spicy smell of pine trees. She sighed and opened her eyes weakly to see who carried her, but found her vision was still blurred from Sainty's Poison Dance.

"I've been looking for you." She said to the blurry figure, the familiarity and comfort of being carried by him making her feel peaceful and whole once more.

"Well you found me." He said softly, brushing the hair from her cheek in a gentle motion. A tiny, content smile touched her lips and she faded into unconsciousness once more, feeling safer than she'd felt in a long time.

Narlafayn awoke again laying on her stomach, bright sunlight pouring in around her. She opened her eyes slowly, focusing on the body that lay next to her. On his back, still sleeping contentedly was the Dark Elf that had rescued her. She pushed herself up onto her elbows, staring at him in wonder. There was something familiar about his face, but she couldn't place it, or the reason why it made her heart pound. She reached out and touched his face lightly, pushing a lock of hair away from his forehead. A small smile touched her face; he looked like a sleeping child.

She slowly pushed herself to kneel, a blanket that had been pulled up around her shoulders falling to the ground. She was inside of a nearly decrepit church, ivy growing up the crumbling stone walls. Flowers and grass had taken over the floor, leaving only chunks of marbled stone here and there. Sunlight filtered through the trees that had grown over head, and Narlafayn felt taken with the beauty of it.

A breeze blew in, chilling her slightly, and Narlafayn looked down in shock to find that she wore only the striped, half under-tunic that went under her breastplate and her underwear. She grabbed the blanket and pulled it back around her shoulders and stared at the Dark Elf with large eyes. _Did we…?_ She stopped herself from thinking the rest of her thought, panicking that she had broken her promise to herself to stay away from Dark Elves.

"If you're wondering whether or not you guys had sex, the answer is no. I changed you out of your armor, that idiot just insisted on sleeping next to you." Vuylay's voice suddenly came, causing Narlafayn to spin around quickly. The violet-haired Dark Elf leaned against one of the stone pillars that had once held up the church's roof, smirking. Tears welled up unexpectedly in Narlafayn's throat, and she stood up as fast as she could, not caring that she left the blanket on the ground.

"Vuylay!" she exclaimed tearfully, latching onto her friend and hugging her with all of her might. To her surprise, Vuylay hugged her back just as tightly, relief at finding her again openly showing.

"Normally this is the part where I would chew you out for leaving me behind for so long," she began, pulling away to wipe under her eyes. "but I kind of gathered from stories I've picked up here and there that you've been having a lot of trouble beyond your control." she let out a trembling laugh and rubbed Narlafayn roughly on the top of her head. "Besides, Sharmin and Komugi were just as bad. Just don't do it anymore, got it? I'm stronger now so I'm a lot more useful." Vuylay warned. Narlafayn nodded and hugged her again, relieved that she was ok. Vuylay now wore a smoky gray short skirt, bodice and vest. It seemed to cover her chest more than her last robe set had, but exposed her thighs up to her waist. "Aren't you out of that Mithril yet? You're such a slacker when I'm not with you." She scolded playfully.

"I'm working on it." Narlafayn grinned.

"That's hot." A male voice suddenly came. Narlafayn and Vuylay pulled away from each other and looked back at the Dark Elf who was now awake, and half propped up on his elbows. "Can I join in, or is this just a look and no touch show?" Vuylay made a disgusted noise and walked over to him, where she pulled the blanket that had previously been wrapped around Narlafayn from the ground and flung it over his head.

"Don't be such a pervert; you know I don't go for that." Vuylay stated, annoyed.

"You two know each other?" Narlafayn asked curiously, blinking innocently and tilting her head to the side. The Dark Elf on the ground pulled the blanket from his head and stood up, brushing the grass from his black tunic.

"Sure, but we can get to know each other too…" he began suavely, pressing close to her. Narlafayn went into instant annoyed glare, finding herself strangely immune to his advances. He backed away slightly, as if shocked by her reaction.

"Oh please, Narlafayn is the biggest prude on the earth; you'll never get into her pants." Vuylay snickered, picking up the blanket and folding it.

"Gee thanks for that." Narlafayn said, glaring at Vuylay around the Dark Elf's shoulder.

"I'm Terebel." The Dark Elf suddenly said, giving Narlafayn another flirtatious grin. Narlafayn raised an eyebrow at him and blinked slowly.

"I'm glad you said it, not me." She agreed. His face suddenly went red and he glanced away from her as Vuylay began to laugh.

"Perhaps you should think about changing your name. I can imagine that joke gets old after awhile." Amari said, coming into the church. He glanced at Narlafayn then suddenly cleared his throat and turned his back on her. "Some clothes, if you will." He said.

"His _name_ is Terebel, Narla." Vuylay said between giggles as she gave Narlafayn her breastplate and gaiters. A feeling of Dejavu suddenly jolted through Narlafayn's heart, and she felt breathless for a moment. Where had she heard that name before? She dressed as quickly as she could, Vuylay distracting Terebel by shoving his face between her breasts so he would stop watching Narlafayn.

"Excellent, it's good to see you're still alive after you bolted like you did." Amari said, turning around. Vuylay pulled Terebel's face away from her chest and smacked him across his cheek, offended at something he'd done while being smothered. Amari motioned for the group to follow him as they wandered into the sunlight. He reflexively winced as the light hit his eyes, and he lifted a hand to shield himself from it. "Damn light…almost as bad as water." He grumbled.

Narlafayn found that she was in a church that had once been part of a small village settlement not unlike Floran deep within the Plains of the Lizardmen south of Oren. The town was to be a very prosperous venture, nestled on lush, fertile ground west of Hunter's Village and north of Death Pass. However, the Leto Lizardmen had migrated north from their home in Innadril Territory, and decided the village was a good place to stop. The villagers were said to never have known what hit them, and went to sleep that night only to wake in the abyss the next morning.

"I suppose you'd like to know how you managed to return to Dion after being in Cruma." Amari suddenly said, prompting conversation. He had Narlafayn's attention in an instant, and she stared at him with bated breath. "You see, my brother and I had been in Dion, and overheard that Rogue talking to you about Phuong. We began tracking you not long after you left the village after seeing him pay off that nasty band of mercenaries. We figured you'd meet up with some trouble." In the distance, a group sat around a campfire, and Narlafayn recognized Shizuka's pink hair as she stood up to wave at them enthusiastically. Behind her, she could feel Vuylay tense as they neared.

"Thanks for the help, but you just reminded me that I need to go find those assholes and kill them." Narlafayn grumbled, annoyed that her least pleasant memory had been brought back to light. Amari stopped and looked at her in surprise.

"You mean you didn't know?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Vlad dispatched all four men for you sometime after you'd passed out. Very messily I might add." He grimaced in memory. Narlafayn's jaw dropped slightly, and a strange sense of relief filled her.

Wait, what happened?" Terebel suddenly interjected his visible eye large. Narlafayn noticed now that his black hair fell over one eye in a similar fashion to the Dark Elf from the Grand Saint's Day party, but she quickly dismissed it as Amari's, and even Deathswalker's hair had done the same. It seemed to be a trendy style for Dark Elf men, to have one eye hidden or partially hidden from view. "Are you ok?" he asked, placing his hands on Narlafayn's shoulders and staring at her. Narlafayn blinked at him, surprised by his sudden fear for her well being.

"Down boy, pretending that you care isn't going to get you in her pants either." Vuylay stated, plucking his hands from her shoulder guards and letting them drop. Terebel stood up straight and cast her a cold glare, and Narlafayn lowered her eyelids in annoyance. _Wow, Dark Elves will try anything to get your attention when you ignore their advances. _She thought bitterly.

"I'm sure you'll find out eventually, but the matter has been long since taken care of." Amari said dismissively, rubbing his forehead with his fingers as if annoyed by them all.

"Hey Snail-Elf, we meet again." Ryonai said with a grin as they finally approached the campfire. Lavinia and Mune suddenly jumped up from their spot around the fire and tackled Narlafayn in hugs, both talking at once to her. Narlafayn smiled and shut her eyes, feeling very accepted and cared about. While clinging to her, Mune glared at Terebel, Vuylay and Amari and made a hissing noise.

"You guys better not have done anything indecent to her." She snarled.

"Oh please." Amari groaned, rolling his eyes and walking past her. Mune let out another hiss, taking on the appearance of an angry badger.

"I keep trying to, but she just won't respond." Terebel whined, pouting like a child. Narlafayn tensed and her face darkened, trying to keep her temper in check.

"You and your one-track mind." Lavinia stated, pulling Mune away before she launched herself at Terebel.

"What brings you to this place?" Ryonai asked as Shizuka gave Narlafayn a bowl of porridge and a flask of milk. Narlafayn blinked in surprise as the richness of their provisions, shocked that anyone could manage to get fresh milk while traveling. Narlafayn dug into the food, engrossing herself so she wouldn't have to answer him.

"Looks like she got caught up in Redemption's siege on Oren." Terebel said casually, trying to slide closer to Narlafayn. Mune's sword suddenly launched itself through the air and landed between Narlafayn and him, and he smoothly slid back to his spot in one motion.

"Hate those things. This is the second time I've been delayed in entering Oren because of a siege." Amari grumbled bitterly, his face sour as he remembered something.

"You mean you went and joined another clan after I'd already invited you?" Ryonai exclaimed. Narlafayn lowered her head as she ate, and shrugged.

"Kind of…maybe?" she mumbled around her spoon. Ryonai stood, his fists clenched.

"Of all the…" he began, but was silenced as Shizuka pressed herself against him.

"Ryonai-Sama…don't be a pouty-face~." She cooed. Weak to his girlfriend, Ryonai instantly relaxed and put his arms around Shizuka, and they began to kiss. Amari and Mune made a disgusted noise at their display, Vuylay seemed to freeze in her seat as if she were trying to ignore it, and Lavinia ate, not seeming to notice or care.

"Come on, you guys are making me jealous. I haven't gotten any for almost a day now!" Terebel suddenly whined.

"It's people like you that sorely misrepresent Dark Elves." Amari said acidicly, glaring at the younger Elf.

"Don't let him fool you, he's not that prolific." Lavinia murmured to Narlafayn as she took another bite.

"Do tell how you would know that?" Mune asked, glaring at her sister. Lavinia shrugged and ignored her question, focusing instead on speaking with Amari. Narlafayn looked up from her bowl again to look at Vuylay, whose face had turned pale, and she stared at her food as if she were trying to absorb it into her body through osmosis. Shizuka and Ryonai had disappeared from their encampment, and Vuylay set her bowl down to walk in the opposite direction they had gone. Narlafayn stood up to follow her, but her arm was caught by Terebel.

"Let her go, she needs some air." He said in a low voice. Narlafayn looked down at him with a frown, suddenly jealous that he would know something more than her about Vuylay.

Vuylay lay in the grass inside of the church on her side, panting slightly. She weakly lifted herself up on her arms and attempted to drag herself over to a pillar to clutch it for support. Her arms shook as if she suddenly weighed more than her muscles could support, and she clutched clumps of earth in frustration.

"She's relentless, isn't she?" Amari said, standing in the shadows the trees overhead cast upon the church interior. Vuylay looked up at him weakly, sweat pouring off of her face.

"I can't do this anymore. I want to be with him." She sobbed, tears springing forth and joining the droplets of sweat. Without expression, Amari knelt beside her and let her latch onto him in a hug, patting her back lightly as she wept. Very few people knew what truly ailed Vuylay, and even less would ever understand the extent of the misery she endured.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

_In which Narlafayn ventures into the Sea of Spores and has an unexpected conversation. _

Narlafayn remained at Haibane's camp for several days, going out to hunt with them daily. Ryonai had taken the job of ridding the land of Lizardmen upon himself, and performed the duty with surprising ease. Vuylay would disappear frequently, always returning pale and ragged looking. She would not say what was ailing her when asked, however, and Narlafayn began to feel frustrated at what her friend was not telling her.

Terebel was constantly trying to get Narlafayn's attention. It seemed that his interest in her was furthered the more she ignored him, and part of her was pleased by this. He used every trick he could in an attempt to woo her, but Narlafayn brushed them off in amusement.

As the days wore on, Lavinia and Mune became moody, and would stand for hours gazing north. Narlafayn found out from Amari that Cesa had disappeared nearly a month prior to visit the Grand Mother Tree's remains in the Sea of Spores. Such a trip should've been quick for her between porting to the Ivory Tower from Oren and back, but they hadn't heard from her at all since her departure. They were camping there at her request, so she could find them easily after she finished talking with the Grand Mother Tree.

According to Mune, she and her sisters and Amari had all been recruited into Haibane the past year. Terebel was a wild card who came and went as he pleased, choosing not to join the clan despite constantly associating with them so he could infiltrate other clans to flirt. She said they weren't very active for a clan-yet. Ryonai was extremely good at coming to their aid when they needed escorting to a land of monsters vastly stronger than themselves, though.

A surprisingly good leader despite his carefree attitude, on the eve of the fifth day since Narlafayn's arrival, Ryonai announced that they would be setting out for the Sea of Spores the next day in search of Cesa. They used Gatekeeper scrolls the next morning, and paid the Gatekeeper in Oren for a transport to the Ivory Tower. Narlafayn paused for a moment to stare at the tower in wonder, as she'd never seen it before. It was a tall tower set inside of a crater, and bleached a pure, shining white. Amari seemed to know many people there, and spoke with them briefly before Ryonai ushered them out and towards the Sea of Spores.

"If you get tired, I'll carry you." Terebel said brightly, walking at a brisk pace to keep up with her. Narlafayn gave him a skeptical look as she pushed some large-leaved plants aside. They were plowing through a dense forest; the ground covered in ferns and elephant eared plants that Narlafayn had never seen before. A cool breeze blew from the mountains to the north, making Narlafayn wish she wasn't wearing her Mithril any more.

"I'll be fine." She said blandly, glaring at a plant as it snagged the heel of her white boots. Terebel made a frustrated noise and threw his hands in the air.

"What do I have to do to get your interest? Stand on my head and recite poetry?" he suddenly asked, exasperated. "Stop picturing it." He said flatly as she giggled.

"I'm just not the type to fall for Dark Elves any longer." Narlafayn replied airily. Walking near her, Vuylay glanced over her shoulder at her with large eyes.

"Huh? I thought you were all for Dark Elves?" she asked, shocked. Narlafayn cringed and then sighed, realizing that Vuylay had never known about Deathswalker.

"Stuff happened and I realized that Dark Elves just want to get into your pants, that's it." She shrugged.

"And the problem with that is…?" Vuylay asked, raising an eyebrow. "You know that's what being a Dark Elf is about." She said casually.

"So sayeth the spinster." Terebel mumbled. "Before we did it, you said you'd only slept with one person before me." He rolled his eyes, not noticing the looks of horror from both Narlafayn and Vuylay.

"Terebel…" Vuylay said through clenched teeth as Narlafayn gave her an annoyed glare.

"Yeah, that really just cut your chances there. See ya." Narlafayn said quickly, waving her hand lightly as she walked away from them.

"What'd I say?" Terebel asked innocently, blinking in confusion. Vuylay wrapped her arms around his neck and put him in a headlock.

"You IDIOT. Never, EVER tell people that I slept with you!" she snarled. "Especially Narlafayn!"

"What's the big deal, I thought you said that's what being a Dark Elf is all about!" he said, his voice strained as she squeezed.

"Narlafayn is different you idiot! She's too naïve, she doesn't get that so I tease her about it constantly, I didn't mean it!" she hissed. She released him and took a calming breath. "You probably ruined your chances with her now. Might be wise for you to take off." She said with a glare, walking away from him. Terebel stared at the ferns by his feet with a frown as he rubbed his neck, his thoughts unreadable in his expression.

"All right, we rest here for a few hours and then head in." Ryonai announced to everyone early morning on the third day of travel. They wearily dropped their packs to the ground and gratefully sat. Ryonai had pushed them since leaving the Ivory Tower, not letting them stop to rest for long until the Sea was in sight.  
Narlafayn had always heard about the Sea of Spores from the Magisters in the Elven Village, but this was the first time she'd ever seen it. A magical barrier erected by humans glowed with its own light, trying to prevent the spores from spreading. To the dismay everyone, however, the spores were already taking root outside of the barrier in the form of large toadstools, not even magic was strong enough to prevent the Sea from growing.  
She approached the barrier slowly; her eyes large, and peered through it into the land that once belonged to the Elves. It was white, like snow inside, and seemed to have a heavy fog covering the hilly landscape. Strange, spider web like silk covered what was left of the plants, and Narlafayn could hear the cry of drakes from somewhere in the distance.  
"Odd, is it cold in there?" she asked Lavinia as the Wizard approached her. Lavinia gave her a skeptical look and patted her on her head in a condescending manner.  
"That's not snow, those are spores." She said. "That fog isn't fog either, but spores being released by the fungus inside. It's what makes people sick." She explained, her brow creasing in worry.  
"Is it going to be safe for us to go in there?" Mune asked, joining them. "Aren't we going to get sick too from breathing that crap in?"  
"I've been in there a ton of times and I came out just fine." Terebel's voice came. The three girls turned to look at him, each wearing an expression of annoyance.

"That's saying a lot." Mune said, deadpan.  
"I'll see if I can sacrifice something to make fabric strips for us to breathe through." Lavinia suddenly said quickly, grabbing Mune by the arm and hauling her away.  
"Want me to help?" Narlafayn asked hopefully, taking a step after them.  
"Nah, you stay here." Lavinia called, already halfway back to the camp. Narlafayn sighed in annoyance and turned back to stare out into the Sea once more, hoping that Terebel would walk away as well.  
"Listen... I'm um...here to…apologize about…" Terebel began awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. Narlafayn made a noise in her throat to interrupt him.  
"No need to apologize. Its in Dark Elf nature after all, is it not? I don't really care who you sleep with." She said icily, not looking at him. Terebel came to stand beside her and peered at her face curiously.  
"If you don't care, then why do you sound so jealous?" he asked honestly, no sarcasm or mirth in his voice. Narlafayn turned to look at him quickly, her face skewed into anger.  
"I said I cared less about your sexual escapades and I meant it. Don't think you can just move on down the line with Vuylay's friends after you've had your fill of her. I don't play that way." She snapped. Terebel blinked in surprise as she turned back to the barrier, seething through her nose.  
"Wow, what Dark Elf did you wrong?" he asked. Narlafayn cast him another hateful glare and turned away from him, stalking towards the circular building that served as an entryway into the Sea.  
"I don't think I have anything more to say to you. Leave me alone." She said indignantly. Stubborn until the end, Terebel jogged to catch up with her and matched her pace with his. She gave him a swift glare before speeding up her pace of walk, which he was quick to match. Her patience at an end, Narlafayn skidded to a halt and faced him angrily. "What do you want from me? Just to bed me so you can move on to the next girl that fits your fancy? Or perhaps you'd like to add me to a multitude of 'lovers' so you won't be lonely when you traipse from town to town?" she snarled.  
"Ouch." Terebel muttered, frowning. "That's a little harsh."  
"I'm right, aren't I?" Narlafayn continued quickly, her voice coming out quicker and cracking with tears. "You just find one girl that you like, sleep with her and then move on, never to talk to her again unless she has something you want, or she was a decent lay or..."  
She was silenced as Terebel leaned down and caught her in a kiss. Remembering herself, Narlafayn attempted to pull away quickly and smack him, only to have him catch her hands and wrench them down, and kissed her again. He pulled away slightly to look at her through half shut lids before kissing her again softly, releasing her hands to cup her face.  
_This is like...the party._ Narlafayn thought, her knees suddenly feeling weak. Remembering how it all started with Deathswalker, Narlafayn's eyes snapped open and she pulled away quickly. "No!" she managed to get out. The whimsical side of her began to scream hysterically at her logical side, and Narlafayn found it difficult to walk away from him. He caught her wrist and pulled her back, her foot catching in the tall grass and tripping her. She fell onto his chest, and he gently sunk to the ground, holding her.  
"What happened to you? Who hurt you this badly?" he asked, hugging her gently. Narlafayn stared into the grass for a moment with large eyes before crying like a child, not realizing she'd been holding back tears in the first place.  
"Why are you pursuing me like this? Why don't you just move on? You can get any girl you want, why keep trying with me?" Narlafayn responded, not wanting to tell him that much of herself yet. Terebel sighed and released her, obviously not satisfied with her question as an answer to his question. Narlafayn sat back on her knees and wiped her face, sniffling loudly.  
"I'm not sure why myself; maybe I just like the challenge." He shrugged, suddenly shy. "But I promise, even though I like the ladies, I'm really a nice guy." He said, leaning his head down enough to catch her attention. Narlafayn regarded him without expression for a moment, and then took a breath. She shifted her knees so she faced him, and placed her lands on her lap.  
"Fine then, here's a deal." She began. Terebel sat up straight, giving her his full attention. "If you can go a month without flirting with someone, I'll respond to your affections. However," she held a finger up, and his eyes grew large, "if you're caught flirting with someone during that month, I'll add another one to it. If you're caught flirting after I've agreed to respond to your affections, then I'll retract it and we'll start over from square one." She finished with a satisfied smile, and Terebel stared at her as if she had stomped his favorite puppy.  
"Do you even realize what you're asking? I'm a healthy Dark Elf with a healthy interest in girls! You're making me become a monk!" he exclaimed, incredulous. Narlafayn's smile turned thin and she patted his cheek in a curt manner.  
"If you want me that bad it shouldn't be a problem." She stated. "Just get one thing clear; when I like someone, it's for good. And I don't share. At. All." She stood up and brushed the grass from her legs, all trace of sadness gone from her. "If it's too hard for you, then fine, just say so. I've been perfectly fine without a man in my life for quite some time now, and I can continue as such until I'm ready to settle down." She walked away from Terebel and towards the circular building with a bounce in her step, and hummed lightly as Terebel sat in the grass making choked noises.  
"Fine, I accept your challenge." Terebel said, standing up. Narlafayn glanced over her shoulder at him, and raised her eyebrows in surprise to find him staring at her in pure determination. "Just one request though..." He began, inching towards her, "...Reward my good behavior?" he gave her a puppy eyed look, and Narlafayn couldn't help but giggle.  
"If you think you can handle little rewards here and there, fine. I can go by that." Narlafayn agreed, smiling at him.  
"Reward me now?" he asked hopefully, taking on the aura of a puppy wagging his tail.  
"Denied." Narlafayn stated, turning away from him. His shoulders dropped and he began to pout. "Pouting won't make me change my mind, I'm immune to you." She said without looking.  
She stepped cautiously into the circular building and gazed up at the ceiling. A magic circle, one more complex than she'd ever seen before glowed on the ceiling and on the floor right below it. Just beyond that was another door that led into the Sea of Spores itself, little fuzzy specks of fungus floating into he building like snow.  
"Shouldn't we wait for Ryonai and the rest before heading in?" Terebel asked, peering in around her. Narlafayn squinted, movement in the distance catching her attention. She stepped into the circular building just as Terebel was lifting a hand to stealthily feel her chest, and he snapped his fingers in disappointment.  
"There's someone in there." She said, curiosity prompting her to take a closer look.  
"Yeah, there are lots of Drakes and Giant Mushrooms wandering around in there." Terebel stated, raising an eyebrow. Narlafayn shook her head, still squinting into the sea, hoping to see it again.  
"It was more bipedal." she murmured.  
"There are zombies in there too of people who died when the Elves turned that land into what it is today." Terebel offered with a shrug. Not paying attention to him, Narlafayn took a deep breath before stepping out of the circular building and into the Sea of Spores. "Narla!" Terebel exclaimed, shocked that she'd go in without some sort of protection over her face. "Oh geez." Terebel panicked, and began searching his armor for any stray pieces of cloth. He found a handkerchief that some girl had given him after an encounter, and silently thanked himself for not throwing it away. Holding it to his mouth and nose, he silently cursed as Narlafayn was already fifty yards away from the safety of the barrier gateway, and barely visible in the spore fog. Drawing one of his dual swords, he held it in front of himself protectively as he ventured into the Sea after her.

Narlafayn looked around the Sea in wonder. It was silent as death in there, like the Elven Forest had been after the first snowfall of winter. Faintly she could hear Drakes call each other, and the rattling breathing of the rotted trees that had come to life with the Elves magic.  
It was impossible to tell that she were breathing in spores, as they were so tiny and soft it was just like breathing normal air. Larger spores that reflected the dim light were kicked up from the ground as she walked, and floated through the air like dandelion fluff. There was grass beneath the spores, but it was dry and crunched slightly as she walked. Overhead there were giant roots which gnarled and twisted their way across the land. These were the roots of the Grand Mother Tree that the Elves used to live within. Now mushrooms and toadstools of all shapes and sizes grew from the wood instead of leaves.  
Craning her neck back, Narlafayn began to follow one of the roots as it climbed higher, trying to find its source. "Narlafayn!" she heard Terebel call. Feeling strangely compelled to venture deeper into the Sea, she ignored him, and began to jog across the hilly ground towards wherever the root was taking her. A figure jumped out from behind a boulder and swung two blades at her. She dodged them easily; her eyes open in surprise as it seemed the person was having a hard time wielding them. Her attacker collapsed a second later, supporting himself up on the swords.  
"Celleriant?" Narlafayn asked the Light Elf kneeling on the ground before her. His blonde hair still cropped off at his chin and still dressed in the blue armor she remembered him in from before, the Swordsinger known as Celleriant wearily lifted his head to look at her.  
"Do I know you?" he panted weakly. Narlafayn kneeled in front of him and helped him sit upright.  
"Of course you do, I'm Narlafayn, remember? We had...er...quite the adventure in the Maille Lizardman Barracks together?" Celleriant squinted at her, as if it were hard for him to focus. Sweat beaded on his face, which was the color of ivory. He was very obviously ill, but it was hard to say if it were the Spore sickness, or if he had just had a bad fight with one of the giant spiders that roamed around there. "Nevermind remembering me now," Narlafayn dismissed as Celleriant's face grew more and more frustrated as his mind couldn't seem to recall her. "I'm looking for an Elf named Cesa. She has kind of pinkish whitish hair in two thick pigtails...she likes to talk to trees like you."  
"Her name is Cesa?" Celleriant suddenly asked, looking at Narlafayn with shining eyes. "She won't speak much to me, she says that the Mother Tree needs all of her attention." he said sadly. "I've been trying to protect her while she trances, but it's getting harder."  
"Take me to her." Narlafayn urged, helping him to his feet.  
"Narlafayn, what are you doing? You're going to get sick!" Terebel said, finally catching up to her and grabbing her by her arm. "Let's get out of here, Ryonai and the rest are probably wondering what happened to us…he might be pissed to find out that we came in without them." He tilted his head at Celleriant curiously and asked "Who's this?"  
"Neither of us is in his clan, we don't have to do anything he says." Narlafayn stated simply, helping Celleriant walk. "This is Celleriant, he knows where Cesa is."  
"That doesn't matter; you're still going to get si-woah, really?" Terebel asked in surprise. His voice came through the handkerchief he held to his face slightly muffled.  
Narlafayn looked up as Celleriant lead them towards a tall, thick trunk, all that was left of the Grand Mother Tree besides her roots. Where it once had branches now were just spiked pieces of lumber, giving it a very demonic, frightening appearance. Seated against its base, pale enough to make her silvery pink hair seem bright, was Cesa. She had her head drooped weakly against the ridged bark of the trunk, and circles so dark that they almost looked like bruises graced the underside of her eyes. Her eyes large, Narlafayn handed over support duties of Celleriant to Terebel before darting over to her.  
"Cesa…Cesa open your eyes." Narlafayn commanded, putting her hands on Cesa's cheeks and moving her head to face her. Cesa's head rolled weakly on her shoulders like a broken doll's. Narlafayn felt a lump rise in her throat; Cesa had Spore Sickness, and she had it bad.  
Cesa made a raspy noise in her throat and opened her eyes weakly. "Narla? Are we in heaven?" she asked, her voice tired.  
"Not quite yet, but you look like talking to the Mother Tree wore you out quite a bit." Narlafayn smiled, relieved that Cesa could still talk.  
"Nonsense…she'll never wear me out, she's quite interesting." She replied, her own weak smile pulling on the corners of her mouth. She looked up as Terebel approached with Celleriant, and her smile dropped. "Why are you still here?" she asked Celleriant. A slight blush tinted his gaunt cheeks, and he let out a sheepish chuckle  
"I couldn't leave you unprotected…I know how important it is for people like us to speak with the Grand Mother Tree." he said, his voice sounding just as raspy and tired as hers.  
"Oh Shilen help me, what a pair you guys are. I'm surprised you're not dead yet." Terebel groaned, rolling his eyes. He helped Celleriant sit next to Cesa slowly, and then stood, shaking his head. "I never understood tree-huggers." he murmured.  
"One of us needs to go get the group." Narlafayn thought aloud.  
"What do you mean 'one' of us? I'm not going anywhere without you, I don't trust you to stay put anymore." Terebel grumbled. Cesa giggled weakly from her spot by the tree, her head rolling against the bark again.  
"Narlafayn was never good to stay put." She slurred. "S'good to see she hasn't changed."  
"You have the protection on your face to make a trip back and forth; I've already inhaled enough spores to where I might start showing symptoms any second now." Narlafayn said seriously, looking at Terebel. "I promise, I'll stay put with them, they need someone to protect them." She promised. She thought for a moment then added slyly "I'll give you a reward for good behavior if you do." Terebel's eyes widened for a moment, and then he glared at her.  
"How the hell did I get so whooped so fast?" he grumbled as he turned away from her. "If you're not here when I get back then I get to pick my reward!" he said loudly over his shoulder as he walked back towards the barrier gate. There was a moment of silence in his wake before Cesa and Celleriant began to snicker.  
"Rewards, huh?" Cesa giggled. "Can I tell Mune about that?" she added, surprisingly wicked despite her sickness  
"Shut up you." Narlafayn glared, prompting more snickers from the pair.

"How long have you been together?" Cesa asked some time later. Narlafayn had begun to pace around them in agitation, worried at the amount of time it was taking Terebel to return with help.

"What are you talking about?" She asked only half paying attention. She paused as a large coin sized spider dropped down from one of the web-covered plants. She stomped on it without hesitation before returning to her pacing.

"You and that Dark Elf, you seem really close." She answered with a friendly smile. Next to her, Celleriant's head had drooped, and he faded in and out of what Narlafayn hoped was sleep. Narlafayn stopped walking to stare at Cesa with large eyes, unsure if she heard her right.

"I'm not 'with' anyone right now; he's just latched on to me for some reason." She responded in irritation. She kicked at the ground, sending little fungus spores into the air. "Where the hell is he?" she grumbled to herself. Her head had begun to pound, but she wasn't sure if it were from the spores or just from agitation.

"You're holding yourself back; I can tell he intrigues you." Cesa said warmly, her voice fading. "You're just scared." Narlafayn stopped pacing again to fire back an acidic retort towards her, but closed her mouth as she found she had fallen asleep as well. Her head leaned against Celleriant's, and Narlafayn smiled thinly at the cute picture they made.

Another coin-sized spider dropped down, this time from the Grand Mother Tree, and Narlafayn lifted her foot to crush it before it landed on the Elves. There was a sudden squeal that echoed across the silent land as the spider crunched under her boot, and Narlafayn turned her head swiftly towards it.

"What was that?" Celleriant asked, his voice slurred. He looked down at his arm and suddenly let out a cry of shock. More coin-sized spiders were emerging from the plants around them, and crawling on him. Narlafayn batted them off smoothly and smashed each one effectively.

"What is this?" she asked, stomping roughly on the arachnids. "Where are they coming from?" One the size of a small dog suddenly crawled out of a hole at the base of the Grand Mother Tree, and raised its two front legs in a similar attack fashion as its larger cousins and squealed. Just as it darted towards Cesa's arm, Narlafayn stabbed it through its head, pinning it to the ground. There was another squeal across the land, and suddenly everything began to shake, as if there was an earthquake.

Just as Narlafayn withdrew her sword from the still twitching spider and turned away from it, there was a whoosh of air, and something that felt like a tree trunk slammed into her abdomen. She was flung nearly fifty feet through the air, and landed on her back, her side clipping a boulder.

"MY BABIES!" a hissing voice cried. Narlafayn pushed herself to her feet holding her stomach and froze at what she saw. A woman, no, a spider-woman similar to Nerupa who lived in the Elven Forest stood near the Grand Mother tree and gently scooped up the impaled spider. Narlafayn could barely think, as the spider-woman had to be over a hundred feet tall. Narlafayn herself barely came halfway up her shin.

Celleriant was shakily pushing himself to his feet, one of his swords drawn. "Stay put you idiot!" Narlafayn shouted as he held the sword up protectively. The spider-woman squealed again and swung one of her arms, building momentum to hit him. Drawing her own sword, Narlafayn ran forward shouting, and drove it as far as she could into the leg of the spider-woman. She squealed and flung Narlafayn away again. Narlafayn rolled to her feet as quickly as she could and began running blindly, trying to lure the spider-woman away from Celleriant and Cesa. The ground began to shake as the spider-woman chased her, squealing loudly.

Large tarantulas began to emerge as she ran, and Narlafayn held up her shield to block their blows. Her sword was still lodged in the leg of the spider-woman, and Narlafayn cursed at how stupid her plan was now.

A slow-moving zombie wearing tattered Elven clothes of a traditional design wandered ahead of her, dragging a heavy sword. Thanking the luck of it all, Narlafayn grabbed it as she raced past, the zombie's arm tearing off and going with it. Shuddering inwardly she plucked it off as quickly as she could and tossed it over her shoulder. It smacked into the face of a tarantula, the finger going through one of the spider's eyes and causing it to squeal and roll.

Now armed once more, Narlafayn pushed herself up a hill and skidded to a stop, her sword ready. She gasped as she panted, noting in dismay how air didn't seem to reach her lungs properly any longer. The spider-woman and her children approached her slowly, and it suddenly occurred to Narlafayn that they were laughing in a strange way, by how their hissing squeals had changed. Feeling air blow by the back of her neck, Narlafayn turned around slowly. Her eyes widened and her sword dropped from numb fingers as she realized she had raced right into the spider's nest.

A large, thick spider web covered a cave hole that Narlafayn could only assume once led into the Elven Forest, from which dangled suspiciously human-shaped food cocoons. The most frightening part of it was not the spiders that emerged slowly from the rocky mountainside around the web, but the Riba and Raikel gathering around her.

Riba and Raikel were two kinds of spider-creature that were rare in the world. They were the product of Elves being fused with spiders be it intentionally through Giant's magic, or accidentally, as these were, through forbidden black magic. They stood half the height of the spider-woman on four pointed legs, and a sickly, fur covered, human-like body jutted from the center of these legs. Their heads resembled Nerupa's, and their arms had been replaced by trembling, short wings. Riba were the female of these creatures, Raikel were the male. Narlafayn looked around herself fearfully as the Riba, Raikel and tarantulas gathered around her closely. Her scream was cut off just moments after it left her throat, and all became dark.

"Dammit!" Terebel cursed loudly. He punched the trunk of the Grand Mother Tree angrily.

"That's my line." Ryonai said icily, sheathing his sword. Vuylay, Amari, Shizuka, Mune and Lavinia stood around him, all wearing matching expressions of distaste. They all wore strips of fabric around their noses and mouths, protecting them from breathing in the spores.

"Where is my sister?" Mune asked angrily, grabbing Terebel by his collar. "What have you done with her, slime?" she snarled. Terebel jerked himself from her grip roughly and glared while adjusting his clothes.

"They were here when I left them; don't get your feathered panties in a twist." He grumbled. Mune growled loudly and launched herself at him. Lavinia caught her around her waist and hefted her back, surprisingly strong for her size. "I told her to stay put, why can't she just stay put." Terebel glared, glancing around their surroundings. He didn't seem phased by Mune's attempted attack.

"I don't think she would've moved Cesa if she's as sick as you say she looked. Narlafayn may be absent-minded when she gets a case of curiosity, but she wouldn't leave a sick person behind without any protection." Vuylay stated, rubbing her arms. "Trust me, I know all about her wanderlust." She added grimly.

"Ryonai …there's blood here…" Shizuka announced with a tearful expression. Ryonai approached her and peered down at what she knelt near without expression.

"It looks like they were taken." He said, standing straight once again. "I think I know where they might've ended up then."

"Where?" Mune asked. She stopped struggling against Lavinia, and turned to face her Clan Leader.

"Orfen's Nest." He answered with a dark glare. "Narlafayn's not at fault this time, but that won't ease up the chewing out I'm going to give her when I find her." He stalked past the group and motioned for them to follow him.

"No respect for your elders I see…" Amari said in a light voice.

"Age has nothing to do with it, she acted irresponsibly." Ryonai snapped, not looking at him. Amari held up his hands slightly to show that he wasn't looking for a fight, and Ryonai sighed heavily. "Let's go, the sun will be up fully soon and I'd rather not be in here when the trees get hungry."

Narlafayn sat in a void of white light, looking around herself curiously. She had her knees drawn to her chest and hugged them. "Am I going to have a dream about that bright world again?" she asked no one, looking down. "I hope so; I want to see that guy, if only to hear his name again." She sighed, blowing a few strands of hair from her face.

The white suddenly turned black as if someone pulled the white from under her, and Narlafayn stood up quickly. She was no longer naked, and wore the black armor that she had worn in the vision she'd seen in the Orc Village. As she turned around, she saw a black-haired woman leaning over a blacksmith's smelting pit and reaching into it. She pulled something from it, whatever it was too tiny for Narlafayn to see, and cupped it tenderly in her hands as if she were carrying water. She walked gracefully towards Narlafayn and then through her, as if Narlafayn were but a ghost. Narlafayn turned again to follow watch her, her eyes widening as the woman approached a great red dragon that let out a purring noise as she passed.

"Take me there." The woman said to the dragon in a voice as smooth as water. The scene melted away and replaced itself with one of a silvery palace full of light. In a room slept a white-haired light elf, a girl barely into her teens. Narlafayn's brow furrowed slightly as she found the girl familiar, she just couldn't place how.

The black-haired woman suddenly appeared beside her bed, her hands still cupped. Narlafayn felt a surge of fear at the look the woman was giving the girl, and tried to shout at her to wake her. No sound came forth from her throat, and Narlafayn patted it in shock. The black-haired woman rose whatever she held to her lips and whispered something to it before dividing it, and pouring what she held in one hand onto the girl's chest.

Something that looked like liquid mercury slithered about on the girl's chest like a strange metallic snake for a moment before absorbing itself into her skin. The girl winced in her sleep slightly and shifted, but did not wake.

"Make me proud of you, Appylonia." The woman murmured to the girl before disappearing into the air. Narlafayn's eyes widened and she gasped lightly. Appylonia…the name that Sayha had told Narlafayn to remember…but who is she?

"Ma…ma…" a tiny voice came from Narlafayn's mouth. A tear escaped her eye which was still large, and her lips parted as it traced its way down her cheek to her chin. A dim memory of the same girl, only older, emerged in her mind's eye. Narlafayn saw her looking down at her fondly, and petting her hair gently. She winced before it continued, and the memory faded quickly.

Narlafayn began to wheeze, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. She attempted to put a hand to her chest, but found that her arms were bound tightly to her sides. This panicked her, and she began to struggle against whatever it was that held her. Her legs were also bound tightly together, and Narlafayn strained against the bonds. The world around her faded as she struggled, and replaced itself with a suffocating reality.

Narlafayn found that she couldn't open her eyes, no matter how hard she tried. Something was constricting her entire body, and she struggled against it. Her head pounded, and she felt as if she were hanging upside-down by her feet.

_Let…me…GO!_ She shouted in her mind. She managed to loosen her bonds enough to wiggle her arms back and forth slightly, and did so with gusto, trying to force the rest to stretch more. The back of her hand clipped the pointed back skirt of her armor and she sucked in a breath as a sharp pain shot through it. Blood seeped out of the cut that was made, and Narlafayn felt in shock, the bonds melting away with it. She pushed her arm free and reached up to her face to pull whatever was on it, off.

Sticky spider's silk covered her entire body, and Narlafayn struggled to get her face free of it. She spit as her mouth emerged, and she took deep breaths. She looked up, which was essentially looking down at the ground, and sighed.

"This is great." She grumbled, swinging back and forth slightly. She had joined the ranks of spider food hanging from the giant web. There were six other human-shaped cocoons hanging near her in a perfect line, and a horde of Raikel and Riba standing beneath her, as if guarding the food. Narlafayn tsked and absent-mindedly wiped her bleeding hand across her bound leg. Her eyes shot open wide as she felt herself suddenly slipping out of the cocoon, and looked down (which was essentially looking up) to find that her blood had eaten another hole in the silk. She looked to the side and pursed her lips, an idea popping into her head. A grin that was almost maniacal spread on her face, and Narlafayn twisted her other still bound hand around back to grab her pointed skirt. She shut her eyes tightly as she squeezed the metal, commanding herself not to let go. Satisfied that she had cut into her skin deep enough, she released the armor and began pressing her hand into the silk. Just as it had done on the other side, the silk seemed to be weak to her blood and dissolved. She grunted as she attempted to reach up like a gymnast and grab the silk binding her feet, but found in dismay that she wasn't as limber as she would've like to have been. Sighing heavily through her nose, she frowned, swinging back and forth once again from her movement. Looking around herself, she attempted to formulate another plan, and her eyes lit up as one came quickly.

She began to pump herself back and forth, causing herself to swing like a pendulum. She stretched her arms out as she began to swing closer to the cocooned body next to her, trying to grasp it. Her fingers brushed the sticky silk on the sixth swing, but she came away with only a few strands stuck to her fingertips. Glaring at it, she urged herself into another swing and reached as far as she could as she neared the cocoon. She managed to grab onto it this time, and wrapped both arms around it before she could swing back far. She took a breath for a moment before slowly climbing up the length of the body until one hand gripped the silk rope attached to the cocoon's base. Pulling her knees to her chest, she grunted as she wiped her hand over the silk confining her legs. It released her quicker than she anticipated, and she scrambled to hold onto the cocoon. Her eyes widened as she heard the silk being eaten away, as she had forgotten for that one desperate moment and grabbed hold of the rope attached to the cocoon with both hands. She and the cocoon fell, Narlafayn landing on her feet for a moment before stumbling to her knees and then falling to her stomach. The cocoon landed with a thud, a grunt coming from underneath the silk. Propping herself up onto her elbows, she glanced over her shoulder at it curiously. The Riba and Raikel seemed blind to the fact that two of their food sources had suddenly dropped from the web, and Narlafayn thanked her luck once more.

Crouching next to the cocoon, Narlafayn saw through spots she had unintentionally bled upon that there was someone beneath the webbing wearing Doom armor like what Terebel wore. Panic rising unexpectedly in her throat she began to quickly rip at the silk around the person's head. She tilted her head and frowned as the face she exposed was not that of Terebel's, but a familiar human. She looked to the air as she scratched her chin, trying to recall where she'd met the man whose head she supported before.

"Blonde hair cropped at the chin…" she murmured to herself. Her eyes widened as she recalled her first visit to Talking Island several years prior, and she looked back down. "Gatz!" she exclaimed, shocked that she'd find Sir Collin's nephew in such a place.

Gatz winced with her voice and stirred, groaning lightly as he slowly opened his eyes. "Don't shout, it's making my entire body hurt." He said in a raspy voice. He blinked once at her with heavy lids before shooting upright with large eyes. "You!" he exclaimed before groaning and putting a hand to his head. "What are you doing here?" he asked, lowering his head to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I'd like to ask you the same thing." Narlafayn said, putting her hands on her hips. Gatz raised his head quickly, his eyes large again.

"Is Sharmin with you?" he asked, not masking the hope in his voice. Narlafayn gave him a pitying smile and shook her head, feeling guilty at the disappointment the youth showed with this news. Narlafayn helped him to his feet, and he began glancing around the nest area. "Where's my spear…" he murmured to himself.

"Spear nothing; we've got to figure out how to get the rest of those cocoons down. I think my friends are up there." Narlafayn said, looking up to the line once more. Gatz followed her gaze and squinted as if the light hurt his eyes.

"Oh yeah…Koyori's probably up there too…" he said airily. Narlafayn lifted an eyebrow at his aloof attitude.

"You seem worried." She stated sarcastically. Gatz shut his eyes into a thin line and shrugged, his answer neither confirming nor denying her sarcasm. The ground began to shake beneath them and they both spun around wearing matching expressions of fear, recognizing Orfen's approach. The rumbling caused the Raikel and Riba to squeal and scatter, and one of the cocoons ropes snapped. Gatz noticed and raced forward to catch the body before it hit the ground, and fell on his side as the weight dragged him down.

"You're not Koyori." Narlafayn heard Gatz say after he cut the silk from the person's face.

"That's Cesa." Narlafayn half introduced, seeing Cesa's hair before her face. "Is she alive?"

"Yeah, she seems kind of sick though…" Gatz said, pulling the silk from the rest of her.

"Good, keep her safe." Narlafayn said, clenching and unclenching her fists as she braced herself for Orfen's appearance.

"Huh?" Gatz blinked, confused. "I hope you don't think you can protect us, your Mithril armor won't protect you at all from her. She'll pop you like a pimple!" he exclaimed. Narlafayn didn't answer, and shifted her feet until they dug an inch into the soil.

Orfen climbed the hill and made a beeline towards them, her body language giving away her anger at finding them loose. A squealing tarantula darted forward from between her legs and dashed towards them. Without thinking, Narlafayn raised a hand and caught one of the tarantula's legs as it was stabbed down at her. The blood on her hand smeared over the tarantula's skin, and Narlafayn took a step backwards as the Tarantula began to roll in pain, its leg suddenly decaying at an accelerated rate. Narlafayn stared at her hand in wonder for a moment before raising it again in preparation for another attack. She didn't understand why her blood was affecting the spiders like that, but she wasn't going to pass up a weapon when it was presented to her. In the back of her mind she recalled Vlad asking her about a blood condition, but she tried not to focus on it.

Orfen came to a stop and stood at the other end of the nest clearing. Tarantulas gathered around her legs, but she hissed at them every time they tried to dart forward. "Are they scared of you or something?" Gatz asked, holding an unconscious Cesa to his chest.

"Ambika…you have returned." Orfen said in a hissing voice similar to that of Nerupa's. Narlafayn looked around herself curiously before realizing Orfen was speaking to her.

"Who?" she asked, not lowering her hand.

"The god of Chaos came to tell us himself of your coming a hundred years ago, I had forgotten." Orfen continued, ignoring her question. "Have you returned to your master? Is the end in sight?" Narlafayn's eyes dotted with her questions, and she shrugged at Gatz who gave her a questioning look.

"Uh…yeah, I need to go return to him now…." Narlafayn began uneasily. "And I need to bring all of those cocoons up there with me as um…an offering. Mind cutting them down?" Orfen tilted her head at her as if considering her request.

"To whom are you taking them to? The god of Chaos does not desire such an offering. Do not rob my children of their food." Orfen stated. _Well that didn't work._ Narlafayn thought flatly, shutting her eyes for a moment. Narlafayn opened her eyes again and stood up straight, taking on an indignant air.

"I'll take these cocoons now. I assure you more food shall come to you to replace it. You won't even know its missing." She stated, thrusting her nose in the air like she'd seen the people of Heine do to her.

"Narlafayn!" Terebel's voice came from over the hill. _Oh God…_ Narlafayn thought in panic. Orfen turned her head towards his voice just as he and the rest of the clan came into view. "Holy shit that's a big ugly lady." Terebel stated his eyes large. "Nice shaped body, but I ain't that desperate to do a hairy chick…"

"Food swap agreed. You may leave now Ambika." Orfen said. She swung her arm out in a wide arc and cut the remaining three cocoons from where they hung. Gatz raced back and forth like a circus performer trying to balance plates, attempting to catch all three. He was knocked flat on his back by the first, and the other two plopped on top of him in succession.

"Oh yeah, Koyori's in this first one." He grunted, trying to push the bodies off of him.

"What did she mean, 'food swap'?" Vuylay asked. There was a moment of silence as the members of Haibane awaited Narlafayn's answer, when Orfen suddenly let out a loud, commanding screech. The dozens of tarantulas from under her feet suddenly went stampeding towards Haibane, whom all screamed in unison and went racing back the way they came.

"That…can't be good." Gatz commented as he cut the silk off of the remaining cocoons. Koyori sat up groggily and looked around, not quite awake yet. Celleriant lay next to her as Gatz cut, coughing as he tried to pull the webbing from his mouth.

Desperation creeping into her chest, Narlafayn made a whimpering noise in her throat and glanced around the nest area. Just inside of the cave, behind the large spider web, was a pile of weaponry. Spying her sword amongst the glinting metal, Narlafayn dashed over to it and thrust her hand inside of the sticky silk to pull it free.

"Get them out of here." She commanded, finding her shield amongst the stolen weapons and putting it back on her arm.

"Wait a minute, would you stop trying to take on these monsters by yourself? I'm a Warlord for Einhasad's sake, I can help!" he shouted as she darted in the direction Orfen and her children had gone. She paused long enough to glance at him seriously over her shoulder, and he seemed to recoil a bit at her expression. Without a word she turned and raced down the hill, determined to catch up with them.

"What's the matter, why didn't you fight her? I can get everyone out of here." Koyori snapped, smacking him on the back of the head. He glared at her and held the stinging spot.

"Her eyes Koyori…" he murmured, scooting to the final cocoon. "They were black…even the whites. She's not….she's not normal." He began pulling at the silk, his mouth set in a thin line. He wasn't sure what he saw in Narlafayn's eyes, but for that fleeting moment, he had feared for his very existence.

Narlafayn raced through the Sea of Spores, so focused on catching up with the group that she never noticed the beasts that would try to chase her down before giving up due to her speed. The earth shake that accompanied Orfen as she moved was growing more pronounced, and Narlafayn could hear the Haibane clan as they attempted to outrun her through the sea.

"Dammit, which way leads back to the border?" she heard Mune shout. Narlafayn narrowed her eyes, and felt a strange, hot sensation building in the center of her chest. How dare Orfen attack her friends like that! If she couldn't behave herself then Narlafayn would just have to put a stop to her!

She skidded to a stop on top of a steep hill and looked down into the valley below it. Haibane stood in the center of a ring of tarantulas, Mune, Ryonai and Terebel facing them bravely with their weapons drawn. Lavinia and Amari stood with their muscles tensed, anticipation very apparent in their faces. Behind all of them, inside a small protective ring they formed with their bodies, were Shizuka and Vuylay. Orfen let out a screech, and the tarantulas converged in upon them.

Rage began to build inside of Narlafayn's chest and she screamed towards the arachnids. A fiery burst of energy erupted from her body and tore a line through the spiders, sending them flying in all directions.

"What the hell?" she heard Amari state as the spiders backed away in shock after the blast. "Where did that come from?" Feeling tired all of a sudden, Narlafayn kneeled, trying in vain to catch her breath. Had that many spores collected on her lungs to where she couldn't pull in breath properly any longer?

"Ambika, how dare you destroy my children?" Orfen screeched. "Have I not served the god of Chaos faithfully all of these centuries?" her hissing voice sounded almost tearful, and she turned to face Narlafayn. "I denounce my allegiance to Chaos! My children, kill her and avenge your brothers and sisters!" she waved one long, clawed arm as she spoke, and the horde of spiders changed their target from the clan to Narlafayn.

"Good God won't this end?" Terebel griped as Narlafayn pushed herself to her feet. Her head lowered, Narlafayn ran headfirst into the mass of spiders. "IDIOT!" Terebel shouted, jumping to his feet.

"She's snapped." Amari said, his eyes large. "Does spore sickness make one mad?"

Narlafayn's voice began low, and then crescendoed into a scream as she ran, and she drew her sword. Spider claws came down upon her as she went, cutting through her skin and armor, leaving gashes that almost immediately began flowing with blood. Reaching Orfen's feet, Narlafayn stabbed herself in her stomach in one smooth movement, and flung herself at Orfen's leg. She latched on with all the strength she had left, and clung onto the long hairs that grew there.

"NARLAFAYN!" she heard Terebel and Vuylay shout in fearful shock.

"Sorry…" she whispered, a faint smile touching her lips as her consciousness began to fade. Her hands slowly lost their strength and her grip on Orfen's leg hairs was loosened. Orfen jerked her leg backwards as she stepped away, and Narlafayn fell from her and into a heap on the ground. Stunned silence from both arachnid and mammal alike descended upon the Sea of Spores until Orfen began to squeal a loud screech. Her leg, where Narlafayn's blood had touched it, began to deteriorate and rot, as if it had died. She fell backwards onto her back, her long arms flopping and smacking into the mountainside as she flailed in pain. Boulders were dislodged, tumbling down and flattening many of her children.

"Nerupa, sister! Help me!" Orfen cried, her other arm slamming into the ground and squashing more of her children. The remaining tarantulas climbed over her body and began to eat through what remained of her leg at her hip, trying to detach the limb before the destruction reached her internal organs. Haibane darted towards Narlafayn, and Terebel plucked her from the spore-laden ground to clutch her to his chest.

"Airhead, help me." Vuylay commanded to Shizuka, holding her hands over Narlafayn's stomach. Shizuka gave Vuylay an unreadable expression before looking up at Ryonai, who nodded. She smoothed the back of her skirt underneath her thighs and took a breath before holding her hands over the wound as well. The combined strength of the two healers began to knit Narlafayn's self-inflicted stab wound shut quicker than normal, and she opened her eyes weakly.

"Terebel…" Narlafayn said in a tired voice, seeing him first as her eyes opened. Not saying anything, Terebel gripped her chin firmly between his thumb and forefinger, and lowered his head to kiss her. It was a hard kiss, almost painful, and conveyed the worry and fright that he had felt for her clearer than any words ever would have.

"Don't ever try to be foolishly brave like that again." He whispered, crushing her in a hug. Narlafayn stared weakly into the sky, watching the spores float to the ground like snow. She sighed and shut her eyes, raising one hand to place on his back.

"Un." She grunted her agreement, and shut her eyes in satisfaction.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

_In which Narlafayn returns to where her adventure began, and there is another wedding. _

"I had a rant all prepared to snap at you when we found you but…" Ryonai began as the group rested outside of the Sea of Spores, "…it kind of leaked out when I pissed myself in fear at that horde of spiders and Orfen." Narlafayn choked on the mouthful of water she'd just taken from the canteen Terebel handed her, and leaned over to wipe at her nose as she coughed it out.

"That's disgusting." Koyori stated, wrinkling her nose. "What the hell did I ever see in you?" She leaned against Gatz, who was polishing his spear. They had met up with them on the way back to the border entrance, and now they waited until Vuylay and Shizuka had finished checking over everyone that had inhaled the spores for signs of illness.

"My guess was that you just wanted what Komugi wanted." Ryonai said airily, and shrugged. Koyori sat up straight, her face red, and clenched her fists in instant anger. Ignoring her seething, Ryonai turned to the man who sat next to him, who stared into the air with a groggy expression. "Vlad, what the hell were you doing in one of those cocoons anyway? You're too experienced to get caught by Orfen and her brood that easily."

Vlad blinked heavy lids as he swung his head around to stare at the young Paladin. He grunted once and wiped at his face with his hand. "I needed a place to nap." He said simply, as if it explained everything. "Besides, Orfen is being kind enough to hang onto my newest stash of books, so I thought I'd grace her with my company for a bit." He shrugged.

"I thought the Ant Queen was hanging onto your books." Ryonai responded, tilting his head curiously. Narlafayn, Terebel, Koyori and Gatz stared at the pair with dotted eyes, not really sure how to take what they were talking about.

"Nah, she didn't seem to like the idea of my visiting anymore after Sharmy took off with her favorite drone, so I decided to move them." He said. Gatz sat up straight with his mention of Sharmin, his eyes large.

"Sharmin? Where is she?" he asked, his voice coming out more excited than Narlafayn guessed he intended. Koyori turned to look at him and glared. He cleared his throat and looked down, focusing on his spear. "Just concerned…y'know…I haven't seen her since Talking Island and all…" he mumbled.

"I suppose she's fine…" Vlad said, scratching the inside of his nose. "She seemed lively enough when that Ant Noble took off for the sky with her latched onto his back." He thought for a moment before shrugging. "Haven't seen her since then though, that was about a month ago now." Gatz stood up with this news, his eyes large, and Koyori latched onto his pant leg.

"Sit DOWN. Sharmin's fine. She's built like a brick house." She stated icily. "I mean come on, Ryonai launched a piece of coal at her at the same time I hit her with my Ice Bolt spell and she came away with perfect vision after wearing glasses her entire life. I don't think a little rodeo ride on an ant is going to hurt her." Gatz glared at her for a moment before re-seating himself and rubbing vigorously at his spearhead.

"Geez Louise woman, if he likes her, let him go see how she is. Don't be such a bitch." Mune said, annoyed. Koyori turned a steel glare onto the Elf and stuck her nose in the air.

"Gatz, I'll have you know, has been my boyfriend for nearly three years. I have every right to deny him to see a girl I don't care for." She sniffed.

"Don't talk like he's a piece of meat you overstuffed turkey breast. It's occurring to me that he doesn't like you and is just with you because you're a controlling little droopy-eyed raccoon." Mune retorted nastily.

"Mune…" Lavinia warned, recognizing the signs of her sister's temper about to explode.

"Oh please, little miss double swords must have to make do with her blades because she can't find a proper penis to satisfy her." Koyori smirked, jutting out her chest as if to show it off. Mune breathed in sharply, the intake sounding like a hiss, and grabbed one of the swords that lay next to her.

"Hey, no fighting unless it's in a pit of mud or gelatin." Ryonai commanded, putting a hand between them. "Then you guys can fight all you want."

"I'd pay to see that." Terebel commented, lifting his eyebrows. Mune turned her glare of death onto him, and Lavinia stuck a foot out to trip her as she attempted to launch herself at him. Mune crashed into the grass, and Lavinia plopped herself onto her sister's back. She began to pick at her teeth and stare into the sky as Mune protested, ignoring her.

Narlafayn sighed and shook her head, smiling wanly at the situation. "Hey, where'd Gatz go?" Koyori suddenly asked, looking around. The young Warlord had disappeared sometime during the girls spat, leaving his spear behind.

"He'll be back, I'm sure." Amari shrugged, reminding everyone of his presence. He'd been so quiet since leaving the Sea of Spores, Narlafayn had almost forgotten he was there.

"Speaking of which, excuse me." Narlafayn murmured, standing. Terebel's eyes grew large and his hand darted out, catching her around the wrist.

"Where are you going? Are you running off again?" He asked, looking at her with an almost fearful expression. It darkened a second later. "Are you having a secret love affair with Gatz even though you told me to abstain?" Narlafayn laughed aloud at his question, any annoyance she would've had for his nosiness fading away.

"No, I have to use the little Elves room, if you don't mind." She replied, sticking her tongue out at him. He released her hand, his mouth dropping into an 'o' shape as Ryonai and Lavinia began to snicker. Narlafayn patted him lightly on top of his head as she walked away from the group, and Terebel let out a pleased noise that sounded like 'wan!' at it.

Narlafayn wandered far into the woods, trying to find a spot where she was sure nobody would see her relieve herself, and stumbled upon some ruins that looked as if it could have been a mansion or a church at one time. All that remained of it were a few clay walls, the ceiling and floor already disintegrated. Just as Narlafayn had removed her gaiters and squatted, she heard the sound of someone walking through the brush around her. Cursing under her breath, she forced herself to finish quickly and darted behind the wall to redress.

Gatz wandered by the wall she had just been squatting next to a moment after she fled, and Narlafayn popped up from where she had ducked out of sight to look at him through a hole. He yelped as she appeared, and fell backwards into a tree.

"How come I always get hurt around you?" He asked her in annoyance, rubbing the back of his head. He checked his fingers for blood, and returned to pressing them against his scalp when he found none.

"Just lucky I guess." Narlafayn replied cheerfully. Gaiters in place she stepped around the wall and grinned at him in a friendly manner. "What'd you walk off for? Catfight too much for you?" she asked. Gatz pursed his lips and looked away from her, a slight blush creeping up on his cheeks. Narlafayn slowly opened her eyes from the friendly squint she'd put them in, her teasing attitude fading as she realized how uncomfortable Gatz had become. "What's up?" she asked, tilting her head. He looked back at her, a desperately sad expression on his face, and Narlafayn felt her heart squeeze for some unknown reason.

"Can I confide in you?" he asked in a low voice. Narlafayn gave him an encouraging smile and nodded.

"I don't see why not, you did before on Talking Island." She said. "Let's walk." Gatz swallowed hard against a lump that seemed to suddenly appear in his throat and nodded.

"I don't…" he began as they made their way slowly through the dense forest. He took a breath before trying again. "I'm not sure I care about Koyori in that way." He said uneasily. Narlafayn blinked at him patiently, her face expressionless.

"You still like Sharmin?" she asked professionally, already knowing the answer before he nodded. "She still likes Leon, doesn't she?" Narlafayn added grimly. Gatz didn't look at her and shrugged lightly. Narlafayn let out a breath of air and ran her hands through her hair. "Oi vey." She said with her sigh. "Why are you with Koyori then?"

"I'm not sure we're even really officially together…we just kind of ended up that way." Gatz admitted. "She left Talking Island with me two years ago, and somewhere while we were traveling we ended up sleeping together. She latched onto me after that and well…I felt obligated to respond to what she wanted since I consented to do what we did together." He stated awkwardly.

"That was really sneaky of her." Narlafayn frowned. "Using sex to hook a man to her. That's a Dark Elf trick." Back at the camp, Amari, Vuylay and Terebel all sneezed in unison.

"I haven't been faithful to her though…I ran across Sharmin after she'd been poisoned earlier this year while I was on my Warlord quest. Things…kind of happened while I was trying to nurse her back to health." Gatz admitted sheepishly. Narlafayn blinked at him, this time out of confusion as it seemed to her now that Gatz was just confessing sins to her, not seeking advice at all. "I felt so guilty for betraying Koyori that I left her at a farmhouse and returned to town…"

"You feel worse now, don't you?" Narlafayn stated flatly. She stopped walking to face him with wide eyes. "Wait, YOU were the one who left Sharmin on my doorstep?" she asked in shock. Gatz echoed her expression, and his mouth opened in surprise. "Anyway, that can be talked about later. It just seems to me that you still need to grow up a lot, Gatz. You're still trying to mold yourself into something someone else wants out of guilt or insecurity or something. If you want to be with Sharmin, then grow some balls and confess to her." She glanced away from him with an annoyed expression before continuing. "I'm pretty sure she was too out of it to remember that it was you who rescued her too, so you might want to confront her and clear that up." She recalled how Sharmin had called out for Leon several times during her fever sleep, and feared that Sharmin somehow thought her rescuer had been him. Somehow she was relieved that Gatz had been the one who found her and not Leon, but she couldn't put her finger on why. "In any case, don't stress on it, by the time you see Sharmin again, the path you need to take should be clear as crystal. Let's get back to camp before they come looking for us." She smiled and patted him on the shoulder, and he gave her a disheartened half smile. Narlafayn knew that she hadn't said anything that he had wanted to hear, but she wasn't sure what kind of solace he was looking for from her; she just hoped their dramatic love triangle would clean itself up soon.

When Narlafayn and Gatz returned to camp, Vuylay and Shizuka had just finished examining everyone for illness. Their medical knowledge was still limited, but they knew that Cesa was the one worst affected by the Spore Sickness. Vuylay told them that they needed to return to the Elven Village as the Magisters there had been studying various cures for the sickness. Shizuka disagreed, and attempted to urge them to go to Aden, insisting that medical treatment was better there. Despite their clan leader siding with Shizuka, the rest of the group agreed on the Elven Village, and they began the long journey back there. Amari and Vlad departed from them in Oren, stating that they would catch up to Ryonai later.

Ryonai seemed to be rather wealthy, and supplied everyone who needed cash with the Adena to take Gatekeeper spells all the way back to the Village. Narlafayn was dizzy by the time they reached Gludio; she hadn't ever had that many spells cast on her in succession, and her knees were scraped up from landing on them each time the spell deposited her in town. Shizuka protested the entire way, but everyone seemed rather intent on going to the Village, as Gatz, Koyori and Narlafayn had also breathed in a fair amount of spores enough to get treatment themselves.

Narlafayn managed to land on her feet for once when she arrived in the village, and only stumbled slightly. She gazed upon the Young Mother tree in the village and shut her eyes as she took a breath of the sweet scented air. She let it out in a whoosh, a peaceful smile on her face.

"You seem happy to be back here." Terebel commented, wrapping his arms around her shoulders from behind.

"Yeah, feels nice to come home sometimes." She glanced at him by tilting her head to the side. "Would you like to go to the Dark Elven Village while you're here?" Terebel released her and shrugged, stepping away to watch Lavinia and Mune half carry Cesa up the stairs of the Temple of Eva.

"Don't really consider that place my home. I was born in the Dark Forest, but my moms raised me in Oren." He said with a light shrug. Narlafayn was beginning to notice a trend with him; he would always become aloof and distant when she asked him anything that regarded the past.

"Narlafayn, come get treated." Vuylay called from the stair landing as Lavinia and Mune passed her.

"Mother is calling me." Narlafayn said in amused sarcasm. Terebel gave her a grin and followed as Vuylay led the pair into the temple.

Celleriant was already in the Temple being treated by the Tetrarch there when Narlafayn entered. Gatz and Koyori stood on the balcony outside of the temple that overlooked the forest. Koyori gestured in agitation, and Narlafayn assumed that they were arguing about their relationship again.

"Holy Waters!" a voice exclaimed. An Elf, just starting to show the signs of age, rushed from the side of the Tetrarch that treated Celleriant to take Cesa from Lavinia and Mune.

"Grandfather!" Lavinia exclaimed. "When did you return to the Village? I thought you were still on your mission trip!" Narlafayn blinked in surprise; as long as she stayed in the Village she'd never once heard the sisters speak of any family other than their estranged brother whom seemed to never write home that Narlafayn could see.

"Not long ago my darling jewel of the sea." He answered her, placing a hand on her cheek for a moment and giving her a fond smile. "Now what happened to my graceful willow? What has made her so ill?" he carried Cesa over to a cot set up for medicinal use and laid her out gently.

"She got stupid and thought she could brave the Sea of Spores without protection to speak to the Grand Mother Tree." Mune scoffed, pushing her hand through her hair. "The silver-haired bozo there got a lungful as well, might want to treat her too." She added, motioning to Narlafayn.

"Bozo?" Narlafayn repeated, glaring at her in annoyance.

"Yeah, Bozo. Wanna dispute it?" Mune responded, matching the glare.

"What got you so feisty today?" Lavinia asked in surprise. Mune looked away from Narlafayn and shrugged.

"Just feel like I'm going to get some bad news today, is all." She grumbled. Their grandfather sighed as he stood from kneeling next to Cesa's cot.

"We have a medicine, but I'm afraid we don't have any strong enough to treat an advanced case like Cesa's." he said sadly. "The next shipment won't come in from Rune for another two and a half weeks and I…" he trailed off as he raised his head to look at the concerned faces in front of him, his eyes landing on Terebel. "You…" he pointed, his eyes large. "I know you…" Everyone turned to look at Terebel, and he held his hands up defensively

"I didn't do it…" he began quickly. Mune drew one of her swords and brandished it threateningly.

"What did you do to my grandfather?" she growled.

"You…You're the son of Zraa and Hydrosfear aren't you." Their grandfather continued, walking past them and coming to stand in front of Terebel. He was nearly a head shorter than the Dark Elf, and looked up to him with shining eyes.

"Um….if I tell you the truth would you hurt me?" he asked uncertainly, pulling his head back slightly. The elder Elf shut his eyes and sighed in relief.

"I thought so…I had often wondered when this day would come." He said, his voice trembling with joy. "My boy…" he put his hands on Terebel's shoulder guards. "I am the man who named you. I…am your father!"

_Interlude: In which Ballard reminisces_.

It was the eve of Grand Saint's Day and my ordinance into the Holy Order of Eva. The Village was lit up brightly, and people from all over Aden had just begun to arrive. My darling wife Fala was a village figurehead at the time, and hurried people around to finish up the final preparations before the party would truly begin. My daughter Sila, your mother my dearest granddaughters, had just emerged from the awkward stage of puberty and was busy flirting with would-be suitors already. Such a proud one she was, I'll never know how Bevin managed to snag her.

I spent most of the evening socializing, many people congratulating me on my achieving the rank of Hierarch and toasting various beverages in my honor. I have to apologetically admit, I'd already had quite a bit of the Dre Vanul wine the Dark Elves had brought with them and was feeling rather warm in the cheeks. Fala was cross with me for some argument we'd had the previous day, and avoided my company for much of the night. Sila had also wandered away, no doubt to listen to suitors sing poetry to her in the moonlight. I felt lonely without the company of my family, and sought out to fill that void with the company of acquaintances.

Let me get one thing clear first, I had been faithful to my wife for almost seventy years. Fala would have her moments where I'd find her under the Mother Tree, cuddling with someone else, but I had married her young, and I forgave her bouts of immaturity. I never had any desire to look at other women, that is, until I saw them.

They stood on the upper platform of the Village, each holding a glass of wine in their right hands, wearing matching blank expressions. Ah I remember them even now; they both wore black sleeveless dresses and had their hair piled on top of their heads in identical styles. The only way to tell them apart was that one's dress dipped low in the front to reveal her cleavage, while the other wore a ceremonial breastplate over her clothes. They were identical twins right down to that feature.

I had never been intrigued by Dark Elves before, I'd always just seen them as our shadows; Elves who balanced our light with their darkness. But as I stood there, gazing upon those twins, I felt my heart race in a way that it had never raced before, not even with my beloved Fala. The dancing in the center of town seemed to slow to a blur as I walked towards them.

I awkwardly introduced myself to them, and attempted to make pleasant conversation. They didn't speak to me at all, instead regarded me with blank curiosity. Feeling as though their silence meant rejection, I apologized for disturbing their night and attempted to return to the center of town, embarrassed at having even looked at them. Before I had taken two steps I felt their arms slip around mine, and I looked down in surprise to find them both looking up at me expectantly.

"We find you handsome and kind." I remember Zraa saying.

"Yes, we would very much like to join with you later." Hydrosfear agreed. She was the one wearing the ceremonial breastplate.

"Hope you don't mind two, we do share everything after all." Zraa said afterwards, and touched my face. My heart began to thud so loud that I thought they could hear it, and I smiled at them like a dumbstruck youth just about to receive his first kiss.

They accompanied me the rest of the night, and even took turns dancing with me. Nobody in town seemed to notice that I was dancing with women who were not my wife, not even Sila. Fala had disappeared to bed early, exhausted with all the work she'd done to set up the party. I felt no guilt as I wandered away from the party later, and allowed the women to lead me to the Starlight Waterfalls, where the Magisters had extended the springtime barrier to, for any young couple who wished to go there to gaze at the stars. They don't do that anymore, I'm told, which is a pity. It's truly beautiful, sparkling with ice in the moonlight.

I shall refrain from explaining what happened after that, as I'm sure all of you are old enough to figure that out for yourselves. We were together until the sun began to rise, and I finally fell asleep despite my best efforts to stay awake with them. They were both creatures of the night, those two, and being with them was like touching the starry sky itself. I awoke alone later on that morning, and my encounter with them became a memory that I still remember with both fondness and regret.

Things returned to normal that day, and I began my new duties as Tetrarch. As the months passed, however, I began to feel guilty with what I had done that night. Some part of me wanted to see the twins again, but the rest of me recoiled, ashamed that I had been deceitful to the one woman I sworn to love.

Seasons still change despite the storm in one's heart, and soon it was late summer. Sila had just announced her engagement to Bevin, and the Village had opened up its doors to traders for the late summer harvest. I was standing in the Temple, speaking with people who had come to pay their respects to our goddess, when the twins approached me again. I was shocked speechless to see them, and even more shocked when they placed a tiny, blanket-covered bundle in my arms.

"We became pregnant after joining with you." Hydrosfear said in a voice loud enough for those around me to hear. The Magisters and Tetrarchs halted in the speeches they'd been giving at her words and all turned to stare at me with large eyes.

"Please name the son you created with us." Zraa requested, uncovering the baby's face. My own eyes large, I stiffly looked down at the baby I held. His skin was an ivory pink and he had a tuft of blonde hair on top of his head, giving away that he was indeed half Light Elf.

"This is terrible." I remember whimpering in a tiny voice. My mind had gone numb. What would Fala say? She may have been a bit frivolous and snuggled with other men from time to time, but never had she ever had children with anyone but me!

Zraa and Hydrosfear looked at each other without expression for a moment before Zraa plucked the baby from my arms. "Thank you. I doubt you'll see us again." Hydrosfear said, nodding to me.

"We are leaving for Oren tonight. Come visit us if you become lonely." Zraa added, tilting her head at me in an almost affectionate gesture. They turned and left the temple after that, leaving a stunned silence in their wake.

Ballard's story was interrupted as Terebel let out a gut-wrenching scream, and the group of Haibane members that had gathered to sit around his feet as he spoke looked up at him in surprise. "YOU were the one that gave me this horrendous name?" Terebel cried, gripping his hair.

"Well I never expected your mothers to take me seriously." Ballard said, blinking in surprise. "I did think of a name after they had left, but I was unable to find…"

"YOU PUT A DARK ELF IN OUR FAMILY?" Mune screeched after biting Lavinia's hand. She had attempted to get up and protest halfway through her grandfather's story, and Lavinia had clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her. Narlafayn, Gatz, Koyori and Shizuka sat in stunned silence, while Vuylay and Ryonai had turned their heads away, hands clamped over their own mouths and their shoulders shaking violently. Mune groaned loudly and put her hands on her head in a similar manner that Terebel was doing to himself. "My uncle is a Dark Elf…I refuse to accept this!" she whimpered.

"You seem so shocked; did your mothers not tell you that your father was a Light Elf?" Ballard asked, ignoring Mune's distressed noises. Terebel threw his arms up in exasperation and waved them carelessly, unable to speak for the moment.

"My moms didn't speak much of anyone except the Giants when they were around." Terebel finally said, pacing back and forth. "They left me when I was ten to go become handmaidens for whatever Giants were left or some such bullshit. I was raised until I was 15 by this foxy Shilen Elder named Maeve….but that's besides the point…Argh!" Narlafayn raised her eyebrows in surprise, this being the most she'd ever heard of Terebel's past. "I need to…" he paused and glanced at Narlafayn before his shoulders drooped in disappointment at the blank look she gave him. "I'm going to go kill stuff, see you soon." He grumbled, standing and wandering away from the group.

"Guys, breathe." Lavinia said flatly, looking at Vuylay and Ryonai. Ryonai finally raised his head and drew in a gasping breath before letting it out again in loud laughter. Vuylay on the other hand only began to laugh harder, and sunk to the ground, unable to hold herself upright.

Dusk had just fallen by the time Narlafayn emerged from a nap she had settled down for after Ballard's story. She paused in front of the house, yawning and stretching her arms over her head as far as they would go. Her eyes still heavy, Narlafayn looked up to the young Mother Tree in the center of town and sighed at it wistfully. It felt good to be back after all of the chaos and fighting she'd just been through. She hoped that the Elven Village would forever be untouched by the chaotic reality that lay beyond the Forest borders.

"Hey Narlafayn, have you seen Terebel?" Ryonai's voice came. Narlafayn turned towards it, stifling another yawn behind her hand.

"Not since Ballard's story time, why?" she asked. Ryonai sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, unusually pensive.

"Ballard told me Cesa's condition is worsening. She needs that medicine before the sickness becomes chronic." He looked away from her and pursed his lips, staring into the sunset. "Or even fatal." He added in a low voice. "I'm taking Gatz and Koyori and we're going to meet up with Amari and Vlad to find out where the medicine is. It should be here by now, according to Ballard's order receipt." He sighed again and looked over his shoulder with a frown, squinting as he gazed beyond the town. "I wanted to take Terebel with me, but if he's running off to flirt with girls again, I can't wait up for him, we needed to leave ten minutes ago."

"He'd better not be." Narlafayn grumbled, glaring into the air. She paused and silently scolded herself for caring, before focusing on Ryonai. "I can go with you instead." She offered, giving him a tiny smile. Ryonai's expression changed to one of bland amusement, and he lifted an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah right, an Elven Knight would do a lot of good on this journey." He snorted. Narlafayn glared at him and clenched her jaw, angry at his response.

"I can be a lot of use I'll have you know…" she began, her pride stung.

"You'll be more use if you hurry up and get your studies done to advance to whatever it is you Elves advance to." Ryonai interrupted, holding up a hand to silence her. "I don't care if you never join Haibane, but if you ever plan to be of use to any clan, you need to be something that's not in Mithril Armor for the rest of her life." Narlafayn looked away from him and fumed silently, her hands clenched into tight fists. "Besides," Ryonai turned away from her to walk towards Gatz and Koyori, whom had emerged from the Temple. "I need someone strong to trust to protect Vuylay when I'm not around." Narlafayn blinked at him in confused surprise, unsure if she'd heard him right. His voice had been soft, almost sad sounding.

"Hey wait!" Mune shouted, running out of the house. She had changed into a bronzy set of armor known as Composite that Narlafayn had never seen on her before. "I'm coming with you!" she declared as he paused to look at her.

"We can't wait for you Elven Knights to keep up with us." Ryonai groaned, exasperated. "So stop asking already!"

"It just so happens that I became a Swordsinger before we set up camp waiting for Cesa." She sniffed indignantly. "If that Amari is going with you then I am too. I'm sure as hell not going to trust a Dark Elf with my sister's life." She challenged Ryonai bravely, glaring up at him.

Ryonai regarded her silently for a moment, giving her a condescending look before rolling his eyes and turning away. "Fine, just don't expect us to carry you anywhere. This is an important mission; we've all got to pull our own weight."

Mune's retorts were lost, her voice fading as she followed Ryonai towards the Gatekeeper. Narlafayn sighed heavily, self-pity at her slow progress tempting her to return to bed and pout. She ignored it, and instead began to walk slowly around the young Mother Tree, listening to the soft threads of conversation murmured amongst those wandering about the village. She paused under the tree and looked up into her branches, the strange firefly lights twinkling as they fell from the leaves. One landed on her forehead and she blinked as if an insect had landed there.

"Just stop with those looks already, Ryonai doesn't give a damn about you nor will he ever." An acidic voice came from behind a house. Hearing the youth's name, Narlafayn's ears perked curiously at it, and she began to tip-toe towards the spot it emanated from. "You're lucky I'm kind enough to share sometimes, you should thank me."

"Do we have to talk about this now? Isn't he waiting for you?" a hard voice that Narlafayn recognized as Vuylay's came in response. Pressing herself against the side of the building, Narlafayn peeked around just enough to see the back of Vuylay's head, and Shizuka facing her with a very un-Shizuka like annoyed expression. She glanced up, her eyebrows rising as she noticed Narlafayn's presence. Narlafayn jerked back around the corner, her heart pounding as if she'd seen something she wasn't supposed to.

"You're right, he is waiting. He won't leave until I'm at his side again!" Shizuka said, her voice back to its usual high-pitched tone. She giggled like an airhead and pranced past Vuylay and around the corner. "Oh hello Narlafayn, how long have you been there?" she asked with a sweet grin.

"Just got here." Narlafayn answered, staring at her without expression. It never occurred to her before how cynical Shizuka's ditzy nature was. Her vapid attitude suddenly reminded Narlafayn of a person who thought themselves smarter and better than another, and acted in such a way to bring themselves down to the level of the stupidity perceived to be around them.

"Narlafayn?" Vuylay's surprised voice came next. She glanced around the corner, her almond shaped eyes round. Narlafayn grinned cheesily at her friend and scrunched her fingers to her palm in a form of comedic wave.

"See you later!" Shizuka called as she pranced away. She hummed loudly as she went, her voice carrying as she crossed the center of the Village and joined Ryonai at the Gatekeeper. Vuylay looked away from her quickly as Shizuka reached up to kiss Ryonai with more passion than was appropriate for a public place.

"Alright, what's going on?" Narlafayn demanded, following Vuylay as she retreated back behind the house. She hugged herself tightly and leaned her shoulder against the house, her head ducked down to hide her eyes.

"Nothing's going on." Vuylay answered in a muted voice. "Just a stupid crush."

"You're not going to mislead me any more." Narlafayn said, pushing on Vuylay's shoulder in an attempt to get her to face her. "Something's been going on with you since Gludio two years ago, and my instinct tells me she has something to do with it since you get worse when she's around. Terebel seems to know what's going on, why can't you tell me?" Narlafayn folded her arms across her chest, her annoyed expression touched with hurt. "Or can you only trust people you sleep with?"

"Oh don't even try that on me." Vuylay snapped, her head rising quickly. "As if you've been around a lot these past years for me even to know you any more." Tears spilled out of the corners of her eyes and dripped down her cheeks. "You wouldn't even tell me about that guy you kissed at the Grand Saint's Day party all those years ago, why should I tell you anything important about my life?" she spat. Narlafayn felt as if Vuylay had dropped a lead weight in her chest and her arms dropped limply to her sides.

"How did you know about that?" she asked breathlessly.

"Because I met him you bonehead, how else would I know?" Vuylay grumbled, leaning her back roughly against the stucco of the house and folding her arms under her breasts. "That got me to think about how much more you could be hiding from me." She mumbled.

"You tease me about everything!" Narlafayn exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air. "I didn't want you to tease me about something that touched my heart like that!" her cheeks burned with that utterance, and she looked away from Vuylay, ashamed of herself for suddenly sounding dramatic. "Who is he?" she asked. Vuylay sighed heavily and wiped her face with her fingers.

"I can't tell you, I never caught his name." she said. "I met him after I lost track of Sharmin and Komugi outside of the Ruins of Agony, he took me to the Dark Elven Village and I haven't seen him since." She shrugged. They were silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts and emotions. Vuylay had acted so carefree about Narlafayn's wanderings; she never realized how much it had hurt her to be left behind.

_ Don't be stupid; think of how much it hurt you to be left behind_. The voice of logic reminded her. "I'm sorry." Narlafayn said sullenly, staring hard at the marbled ground beneath her boots. "I never intended to leave you on Talking Island that last time…" she began, and then slowly began to launch into the story of everything that had happened to her while not in Vuylay's presence. They began to walk slowly towards the north exit of town, and by the end of her story they sat in the very white marble gazebo that Narlafayn had woken up in the evening she arrived in the world.

"You idiot!" Vuylay sniffled, latching onto Narlafayn in a fierce hug. "Why didn't you tell me about this earlier? Why didn't you find me after what happened in Cruma?" she sobbed, clinging to her. "I knew something was wrong when Komugi said she saw you drop your clan crest as you left town. Oh gods why didn't I follow you then?" Narlafayn felt tears welling in her own throat as she hugged her friend back, and patted her softly.

"It's ok now." Narlafayn murmured, shutting her eyes before tears fell. "That trip was actually good for me; I recalled my purpose for the path I've chosen." She gently pushed Vuylay away and gave her an encouraging smile. Vuylay nodded and sniffled loudly as she wiped her face again.

"Man, if I ever meet that Deathswalker…I'll rip his balls off with my bare hands. No wonder you're so wary of Terebel." She glared, looking beyond Narlafayn. She sniffled again and wiped her nose on her arm.

"That's ok too; I think I've got things worked out with Terebel." Narlafayn chuckled softly, shutting her eyes. Vuylay sighed heavily and cleared her throat, knowing it was her turn now to spill her secrets.

"Shizuka is my other half." Vuylay began, shifting uneasily on her knees.

"You've said that before, but I'm not sure I get it." Narlafayn said, tucking her legs close to her body and holding onto one of her ankles. "So that makes you soul mates?" Vuylay's first response as soon as the question left her lips was a shrill tittering laugh.

"Nothing like that unless you view it in a certain light." She laughed. Narlafayn frowned at her, annoyed by Vuylay's lack of a coherent response. The laughter cutting short as quickly as it began; Vuylay sighed heavily and blew her bangs from her eyes. "I'm not really sure if this will make sense to you or not. So far Terebel and Amari are the only ones who believe me." She shifted again and bit her lower lip, looking towards the Village in worry as if she was afraid someone was eavesdropping.

"So you slept with Amari too?" Narlafayn suddenly asked, her eyes dotting. Vuylay's attention was returned to her in a second, and her face paled of color.

"Son of the Abyss, no!" she exclaimed. "I don't open myself up to people I sleep with, I told you! Terebel found out because he had to for the situation that had presented itself at that time. Amari found out because I've known him since I was young, nothing more!" she sighed in exasperation and finally shifted to sit in a similar manner to Narlafayn. "For some reason, when my mother gave birth, her baby was split into two by powers unknown. One half became me, the other became Shizuka. I can only assume that because Shizuka's a Light Elf, she was taken quickly from the Village and sent here or wherever it was she was raised. Because we are essentially the same person, I feel whatever intense emotions that Shizuka feels; pain, illness….even…" she trailed off uneasily and looked away from Narlafayn with her cheeks pink.

"Even…?" Narlafayn urged, her expression blank.

"Oh come on, use your imagination!" Vuylay snapped, her cheeks turning a more pronounced rosy color. Narlafayn put a finger to her chin and let out a thoughtful noise as she pondered it. "Sex you idiot, SEX!" Vuylay finally shouted. Narlafayn's face paled with her words, and she stared at Vuylay without expression, her mind connecting all of the incidents where Vuylay would disappear, and the words she'd heard Shizuka utter just earlier that evening.

"You mean you…." She began, her eyes dotting again.

"Yes…" Vuylay answered before she finished.

"…with Ryonai…"

"Yes!" Vuylay snapped. "Yes Narlafayn, I shall put it bluntly for you; I had sex with Ryonai because Shizuka decided to share him with me a few times. Now we can drop this part of the subject." Vuylay stated, annoyed.

"You love him." Narlafayn realized, a smile creeping up on her face. Vuylay's expression of annoyance turned to one of horror, and she stared at Narlafayn with large eyes.

"I do not!" she said shrilly. Narlafayn gave her a sly look and poked her thigh.

"You do too! You're in love with Ryonai!" she teased, poking her to accentuate her words.

"If you keep that up I'll never tell you what the Grand Saint's Day guy looks like without his mask on." Vuylay responded, deadpan. Narlafayn retracted her finger and sucked her lips in, giving her a childishly innocent look. Vuylay let out a tense breath of air, trying to relax.

"So…does that mean that if you and Shizuka ever got put back together, you'd no longer be Vuylay?" Narlafayn asked. She found her throat seized up with sadness as soon as the question left her lips. Vuylay looked down sadly at the floor of the gazebo, and traced a finger along a crack in it.

"I'm…not sure." She said in a low voice. "I'd…rather not think about loosing my identity like that." The thought was frightening even to Narlafayn; should someone with enough magic strength come along that could piece the two halves back together, she would loose her friend. Perhaps the being created after both pieces were assembled would still have Vuylay's memories, but it would definitely no longer be the Vuylay she knew and cared about.

"Are you guys doing a secret lover meeting in here? Cuz if you are, I reeeeeally really want to watch." Terebel's voice came from behind them. They both lifted their heads wearing matching annoyed expressions to find the Dark Elf standing suavely in the gazebo entryway.

"Ryonai was looking for you earlier; he wanted you to go with him to search out Cesa's medicine." Narlafayn said, ignoring his hormonal grin.

"Did Mune go with?" he asked, his smile fading. "Good. Glad I couldn't go." He said as Narlafayn nodded. Terebel sighed heavily as he sat Indian-style near them and propped an elbow up on one knee, shutting his eyes as if he were suddenly very tired.

"Trouble with your…family…?" Vuylay asked, trying to keep the laughter in her voice contained. Terebel opened one eye to glare at her.

"I still haven't acknowledged that story of his." Terebel said firmly, shutting his eye again.

"But he knew the names of your mothers." Vuylay stated, lifting her eyebrows. Terebel dismissed her proof by waving a hand and leaned his chin upon his other hand.

"Which one was your birth mother?" Narlafayn spoke up, finding herself still curious about Terebel's past. Terebel shrugged, still not looking at her.

"Not sure. My moms were strange, they shared everything; even me." He mumbled. Narlafayn blinked at him patiently, waiting for him to continue.

"Okay…?" Narlafayn said, too curious now to let the matter drop.

"Good luck getting him to talk about his past; he probably got teased a lot for his name and tries to forget it." Vuylay snickered. Terebel opened an eye again to glare at her. "I never knew his mothers, but Magister Harne told me tales of them. Apparently they kept to themselves and lived in a mansion near the Neutral Zone border." She looked down and adjusted her bodice, which seemed to be slipping down slightly. "Harne said they were very much into the lore of the Giants, and would spend all of their time trying to collect information about them." She shrugged, and stood up, glaring in annoyance at her bodice, which she adjusted again.

"Where are they now?" Narlafayn asked, looking at Terebel. He shrugged like a pouting child, still not looking at her.

"Somewhere in the Giant's Cave still, I suppose." He said flatly. Narlafayn chewed the inside of her lip; getting the clear signal that Terebel wanted the subject dropped.

"Well, now what do we do?" Vuylay asked, catching it as well. "Just hang out here until the fetch quest party returns? It might be kind of fun to see what the Village is like when I don't have to run for my life every day due to some psychopath in Elven clothing." She added bitterly, frowning in memory.

"I guess that's the plan." Narlafayn agreed, standing as well. She looked down at Terebel without expression for a moment before offering him her hand. He glanced at it briefly before following it up to her face, his eyes lighting with hope.

"You…you really do like me!" he said, a childish grin spreading on his face. Feeling coy, Narlafayn retracted her hand and turned, sticking her nose in the air.

"Nope, just thought you looked old and weak." She said in a snooty voice similar to Koyori's. Terebel's jaw dropped open as she walked away, and Vuylay giggled as she followed.

"You know you're too mean to him." She grinned, walking next to her.

"I am?" Narlafayn asked seriously, looking at Vuylay with large eyes.

"Yes well, it'll be good for him. I think you're the first girl he's ever had trouble attracting. Maybe it'll teach him a few things about the female heart that he conveniently ignored before." She said wickedly.

The next day Narlafayn went to the Temple and spoke with her old Master there, to find out if he could train her while she waited for Ryonai to return. Instead of giving her tasks like usual, he sent her away with a test to complete. She returned it to him within an hour, and milled around the Temple as she waited for him to review it.

Deciding to check on Cesa while she waited, Narlafayn wandered over to Ballard's study, which had been transformed into Cesa's hospital room while they waited for the medicine. She knocked softly once and poked her head in. Celleriant looked up from where he sat at Cesa's bedside, quickly withdrawing his hand which had been plainly holding hers.

"I didn't hear you knock." He said, the base of his ears pink. Narlafayn grinned at him and wandered over to the sleeping elf as quietly as she could.

"You've been here every day, haven't you?" Narlafayn stated more than asked. Celleriant's blush crept farther, tinting his cheeks and ears.

"I…I can't just leave her without company. What if she wakes up and gets sad that there's no one here?" Celleriant mumbled, not looking at her. Narlafayn's smile broadened, and she knelt next to Cesa's bed.

"Well, I'm sure she appreciates your company." Narlafayn told the smitten Elf. "It's rare for there to be someone else in the world who appreciates trees like she does, I'm sure you guys will be great friends once she recovers." Her smile faded slightly at the disappointed look on Celleriant's face.

"Friends…" he repeated flatly. He looked up at Narlafayn with a hopeful expression and took one of her hands in his. "How can I be more than friends with her?" he asked bluntly, his eyes shining. Narlafayn blinked rapidly at him, shocked at his boldness. She chewed her cheek for a moment and thought, trying to recall if Cesa had ever said anything about what she wanted from a man. No memory was to be found, as Cesa was far too enthralled with trees to have ever talked about boys with her.

"I got it!" Narlafayn exclaimed, her grin returning. "Cesa would probably be really impressed if she could have a sapling from the Enchanted Valley, and I hear there's a guy in Dion who…"

"Great! I'm off!" Celleriant exclaimed, jumping up from his chair and causing it to rock. Narlafayn's eyes widened at being interrupted, her mouth still poised in her last word. "I'll see you in a couple of months, I'm off to the Enchanted Valley!" with that he darted out of the room, causing an entering Ballard to smash himself up against the doorframe to avoid him.

"Where's he going?" Ballard asked, his eyes large. Narlafayn shrugged, making sure she matched his confused expression before turning her back on him to face Cesa. _Dear gods,_ she began, shutting her eyes into a thin line, _I know you guys are busy with your own family dysfunctions, but please let that idiot return alive, ok? I'll…start going to church or something. Thank you_. She opened her eyes again to focus on Cesa, who was sleeping peacefully on her back. She still had dark circles under her eyes, and her breathing was shallow.

"How is she doing?" Narlafayn asked, looking up at Ballard as he leaned over her and felt her forehead.

"The sickness has stabilized, so she's not getting any worse…" Ballard said, pressing his knuckles against her cheek gently. Narlafayn didn't urge him to continue, and instead took Cesa's hand and squeezed it gently. Ballard took Celleriant's abandoned chair and settled himself, pulling a small book from inside of his robes and opening it.

"I have a question…" Narlafayn began, looking at the elder Elf seriously. He glanced at her over the top of his book, and Narlafayn attempted not to smile at how he resembled Lavinia with that motion. "What name did you decide for Terebel after he was gone?" Ballard lowered his book, blinking at her a few times in surprise. "If that's not too personal of a question for me to ask that is…" she added hastily, clearing her throat and standing.

"No it's fine; I'm just surprised someone heard me over the shouting." He said, smiling at her in a grandfatherly fashion. "I named him Donovan, which means Dark Warrior." Ballard shut his eyes with his smile, placing his book in his lap with his thumb marking the page he was on. "I somehow knew that he'd take up the sword. I don't know how or why I knew; I suppose it was a vision of sorts granted to me by Eva." His smile faded and he looked at Narlafayn seriously, his expression slowly becoming sad. "Please, watch over him, as his friend if nothing more. There are forces at work out there, forces that I can't even begin to comprehend, and I fear that my son will face something much bigger and darker within himself within the near future."

Narlafayn stared at him without expression; her lips parting slightly as she dimly recalled a dream where she faced a Dark Elf carrying a glowing red sword. _That was just a dream_. She told herself firmly. _Just a dream._

"Miss Narlafayn!"

Narlafayn stopped, halfway to the western temple doors and looked over her shoulder at her teacher. He glided quickly over the stone floor, his stance perfectly balanced and graceful with the aura of one who had truly mastered the sword. Unseen by Narlafayn, Terebel entered the temple behind her, a grin on his face.

"I have reviewed your test, and it seems you are ready to begin your trials to see if you are worthy to pass on to the next level of sword fighting. Which did you desire to be, a Temple Knight or a Swordsinger?" her teacher said in a professionally cool voice. Narlafayn's eyes bugged out at him, and her jaw dropped slightly. She hit the side of her head with the heel of her palm a few times then looked back at him.

"Excuse me?" she said, squinting in disbelief.

"That's awesome! Hurry up and pick one, we'll leave to start tonight!" Terebel exclaimed, causing her to yelp in surprise. She looked at him with large eyes for a moment before glancing down at her feet, trying to seriously consider her next path.

She had never expected to ever hear that she was ready to begin her tasks, she'd almost come to terms with remaining an Elven Knight the rest of her life. As she stood and thought of what she wanted to do, a little voice spoke up in her head and urged her to choose a Temple Knight. She liked the exotic allure of the Swordsinger, but for some reason she felt a pull towards the other.

"Temple Knight…" she said in a hesitant voice, almost too soft to be heard.

"Great! That starts in Giran!" Terebel exclaimed before her teacher could speak. He latched onto her wrist and began pulling her through the temple and towards the Gatekeeper.

"Terebel, I have to go…" Narlafayn began, and then trailed off as Vuylay came into view, leaning against one of the posts that held up the roof over the gazebo that the Gatekeeper stood within. "…pack…" she stated flatly, noticing the full supply bags that sat at Vuylay's feet. "You guys were planning on taking off anyway, weren't you." She asked, deadpan as Terebel came to a stop near Vuylay.

"Of course, we decided its way too boring here without the psychopath." Vuylay stated, inspecting her fingernails.

"You were just saying how you were looking forward to her NOT being here, what's the deal?" Narlafayn asked, lifting an eyebrow. Vuylay shrugged and sighed, lifting her fingers to her mouth to bite on the nails.

"Well we decided that she really adds some life to this place and its way too boring now." Vuylay stated dismissively.

"I can't believe you….hey are you flirting!" Narlafayn exclaimed. Terebel drew away from the Gatekeeper quickly and turned to face her with an innocent expression akin to a child getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"No….ok maybe…." He said, his expression growing more sheepish as Narlafayn glared. "No, I wasn't!" he said desperately, her glare reminding him of their deal.

"Yes he was." The Gatekeeper smirked, adjusting the crown-like headdress she wore. Terebel whipped around quickly and lifted a finger to his lips as Narlafayn glared and put her hands on her hips. Growling softly in her throat, Narlafayn lifted her travel pack and swung it roughly over her shoulder.

"To Gludio please." She grumbled, casting Terebel a sidelong glare. He gave her a pleading look as the Gatekeeper cast her spell.

"Well you did well for all of…two and a half days." Vuylay announced, patting him on the shoulder.

"I forgot!" Terebel whined. "You can make her understand that, right?" he gave Vuylay a look that was truly pitiful. Vuylay snorted in amusement and lifted her own travel pack.

"Yeah, I can tell her that you forgot, but I seriously doubt that'll make the situation any better." Vuylay smirked. "Start thinking unpleasant thoughts every time your hormones start bouncing, buddy, otherwise you won't get anywhere with her." She patted his shoulder again before approaching the Gatekeeper and requesting a spell to Gludio as well. Terebel stared at the spot where Vuylay stood for another moment, his mind seriously considering quitting his deal with Narlafayn. Something inside of him nagged him to not give up, and he sighed in defeat before requesting his own spell to Gludio.

Narlafayn's first task was to seek out an aged Paladin south of the Wasteland named Sir Aron Tanford. Apparently he was the man that humans trained at to become Paladins, and her first trial would be through him. The Elven Master in Giran told her to be on her guard as she traveled there. The journey would be long, even with taking Gatekeeper spells, and the Demon Beleth's magic had warped many of the creatures that lived in the Wasteland.

Terebel and Vuylay followed her back to Gludio, both of them helping her by funding Gatekeeper spells between the towns. In Gludio they took a spell to the southern entrance to the Wasteland, and popped into existence right in the middle of a caravan that had pulled to a stop to rest.

"Not every day you get company on the road!" a Dwarven trader laughed as the trio stood, wobbling in wooziness from the spell. They remained with him through the night; the friendly trader was nice enough to share his dinner with them. They discovered his name was Rolento, and he was on his way to Giran Harbor from Gludin. They woke early the next day and continued on their journey after bidding the Dwarf a quick farewell.

Sir Aron was said to live right on the outskirts of the Ol Mahum Checkpoint, somewhere in between the ocean and the Wasteland. Nobody seemed to know an exact location, as the Paladin seemed to desire to live a hermit-like existence.

"I think we're lost." Vuylay stated several hours later. They stood in the middle of a dense forest that stank of Ol Mahum. Terebel scratched his head and consulted his compass as Narlafayn sat on a boulder, gazing at what she could see of the ocean through the trees. There was a rustling behind them, and all three jumped to attention, ready to take on whatever would be coming at them.

What they expected to be an Ol Mahum of some sort ended up being more feminine in figure, wearing a sleeveless white sundress that almost dragged along the forest floor. Olive-green eyes glanced at the Elves in battle stance curiously, before lids shut over them, as if too tired to acknowledge them.

"Emixia?" Narlafayn said incredulously, recognizing the woman from her first visit to the Orc Village four years ago. Her hair had grown longer from its short, cropped state, and now hung down her neck in a shaggy fashion. Her eyes opened again as she tilted her head at Narlafayn in confusion, trying to recognize her. Narlafayn herself was surprised; she looked nothing like the mad, blood crazed thing that she'd been back in the Orc Village.

"Please forgive me, I've forgotten your name, but you do look familiar." She said in a polite tone. Her voice was soft now, also much different from the roughness it had been.

"Who's this?" Vuylay asked relaxing.

"This is Emixia; I met her in the Orc Village…" Narlafayn said, hoping Vuylay didn't pick up on her evasiveness. She could feel Emixia staring at her again without blinking, her eyes boring a hole into the side of her face.

"Oh! I think I remember you now! I never did catch your name." Emixia said with a genuinely friendly smile. "You were with Sprissa, were you not?" Narlafayn blinked at the woman in surprise, could this have REALLY been the murderess from before? If it was, what had happened to her to make her seem so…sane?

"I'm Narlafayn." she introduced, and held out a hand to her companions. "These are my friends Vuylay and Terebel. I'm supposed to be out here finding a Sir Aron Tanford so I can get my first task on the road to becoming a Temple Knight…you wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you." Emixia's eyes widened slightly, and then she looked down, her brow knitting together in a look of sheer sadness that made Narlafayn's heart ache.

"Yes, I know where he is. Follow me please." She said softly, breezing past them and towards the ocean.

"Who is she again?" Terebel whispered as they followed some distance behind her.  
"Isn't she that Dark Avenger you said was fruit loops?" Vuylay also whispered, leaning close to her. Emixia glanced at them slightly over her shoulder, but it was questionable if it was because she had heard them, or if she simply wanted to make sure they were following.

"Yeah…at least I think she is…" Narlafayn responded to them both. She pursed her lips and looked at Emixia again. "She seems so…normal…right now though." Narlafayn murmured.

"This is his house." Emixia suddenly said, stopping and pointing to a small, two-story cabin in front of them.

"Thanks!" Narlafayn said cheerfully, giving her a friendly smile. "Won't you come with us?" Narlafayn asked as Emixia didn't budge from her spot when the Elves moved. Emixia didn't respond, and instead looked down to the grass, her hands clasped behind her back. Farther behind her, in the forest, a tall figure moved ungracefully through the trees. Terebel's eyes widened and he backed up a few steps.

"Big scary Orc!" he peeped, pointing. Narlafayn drew her sword as the Orc suddenly dropped something that had been slung over their shoulder and began charging towards them. Emixia had but a second to look at the oncoming bulldozer before it backhanded her hard across her face. She crumpled to the ground with the force of the blow, and lay there for a moment as the Orc stood over her, growling.

"HEY!" Narlafayn shouted, taking on a challenging stance. "That's not cool, hitting an unarmed person!" The Orc looked up at her with a growl, and the party was shocked to discover that the growling green giant was female, instead of the male they had all perceived her to be from the distance.

"What in Einhasad's holy name is going on back here?" a male voice came. "Emixis my darling, what are you doing to these travelers?" Narlafayn looked over to find a man with dusty blonde hair the same color as Emixia's standing behind the fence that surrounded the house. "Emixia!" he exclaimed, breathless as the woman stood.

"Hello father." Emixia said in a slurred voice, her jaw bleeding. Instinctively, Vuylay stepped towards her and lifted a hand to begin healing her. The instant her spell began to knit whatever injury Emixia had been given, the Orc that the man had called Emixis, grabbed her hand and wrenched it away.

"Pup bad, needs punishment." She grunted as Vuylay withdrew her hand with a glare.

"I get the feeling we've unwittingly stepped into some sort of drama…" Terebel muttered into Narlafayn's ear.

"I'm terribly sorry fair travelers…it seems you've stumbled across my estranged daughter. I do hope she hasn't caused you any trouble, if she has I'll be sure to compensate you for your discomfort." The man said politely. There was a tense air around him despite his friendly smile, and Narlafayn, Terebel and Vuylay looked at each other.

"No need to worry, she was actually very helpful." Narlafayn stated, sheathing her sword. "She was just leading me to Sir Aron Tanford; I need to find him for a task." The man's face turned to one of surprise, and he glanced at Emixia briefly before looking back at Narlafayn.

"She was actually helping someone? That's a surprise." He stated, impressed. "I'm Sir Aron, please, come into my house and we'll talk." He smiled at her genuinely, and motioned for them to come around the fence. Narlafayn looked over her shoulder as she approached the gate, and watched as Emixis gave Emixia one last growl before stalking away from her. Her hair hiding her eyes, Emixia did not look up at them as they left, nor did she move from where she stood. There seemed to be a kind of limpness to her stance, an utterly defeated kind of body language that Narlafayn had never before witnessed on any living being.

Despite the uncaring first impression she'd received as Sir Aron looked on at Emixia without pity, he seemed to genuinely be a nice person. He spoke eagerly of his students, whom included Leon, Ryonai and Sharmin, and seemed shocked that the trio knew them. He laughed about that, and exclaimed about the smallness of the world. Sharmin had apparently just left on a task he'd given her to Hunter's Village, and wouldn't be back for quite some time. Her training with him was almost up, however, and he seemed sad when he spoke of her impending trip to Oren to be sworn into the Order of the Paladin.

He invited them to stay for dinner and then overnight, promising he'd give her the details of her task the next morning. Terebel and Vuylay seemed hesitant to stay, casting uneasy glances at Sir Aron's Orcish lover all the while. Terebel seemed disgusted every time the couple would show affection towards each other, and turned away from them to gag behind his hand.

Narlafayn emerged from the cabin after dinner and rounded the side of the house. Emixia was no longer there, and Narlafayn looked around curiously, wondering if she had gone far. Shrugging, she stretched her arms over her head and wandered towards the ocean, taking in a deep breath of salty air. Terebel and Vuylay had already made their way down to the shore, and stood calf-deep in the seawater. Terebel had his swords drawn, and was standing with one arm stretched out, level with his chest, while the other was raised straight above his head. Narlafayn paused near where the water began and leaned upon one of the strange, chained statues of a king on a throne. Taking a breath, Terebel shifted one leg and began to practice in the surf. He moved smoothly, his footwork the trademark dancing that all Bladedancers learned. Narlafayn felt a warm feeling spread in her chest as she watched him. His dancing was beautiful, and Narlafayn shut her eyes as she let out a shaky sigh. _Resist it; you don't know him well enough yet. _The voice of logic told her firmly as she suddenly had the temptation to run to him. Vuylay watched him dance as well, standing in the water with her arms folded across her chest.

"He's quite inspirational." Emixia's voice came. Narlafayn's eyes snapped open quickly and she looked down to find the Dark Avenger crouched in the sand next to her. "He has a gentle soul; I am envious that you have someone like that close to you." She looked up as she spoke, and again Narlafayn felt her heart squeeze at the gentle sadness she showed.

"We're not close, just at the most I'd say friends." Narlafayn said with a nervous smile. Emixia tilted her head at her for a moment, and Narlafayn noticed her ears, although human-sized, were pointed.

"Your souls are already bound, though." Emixia said, confused. Narlafayn looked away from her, her cheeks red. _What is she talking about? So much for being sane!_ She thought. She shifted in discomfort, trying to push off the effect Emixia's words had on her. They were silent for a moment, both seemingly entranced by Terebel's dancing. He paused as Vuylay asked him an inaudible question. They conversed for a moment, and then Terebel took up his starting pose again, which Vuylay mimicked. He nodded at her and then moved to another pose, which she followed.

"Is he teaching her how to be a Bladedancer?" Narlafayn thought aloud. A part of her twinged in jealousy, even though she could not place why.

"It seems that way." Emixia answered her. Another stretch of silence passed between them. The surf began to rise a bit as the evening turned to dusk, and soon water was lapping at Narlafayn's feet. Emixia still sat next to her, seemingly not caring that she was getting a soggy bottom.

"Forgive me if this is a presumptuous question but…what brings you down here?" Narlafayn asked bluntly, curiosity about the half-Orc getting the better of her. Despite the frightening first encounter, Narlafayn found herself intrigued to know more about the stoic blonde next to her.

"I come here often, to watch mother and father from afar." She answered without hesitation. She spread her fingers in the sand and watched how the water shifted around it as the tide came in. "As you can tell, things are not good with them. I have not gotten along with them since I told father I wanted to be a Dark Avenger. He loathes Dark Avengers with a passion you see…but it is the only thing I could do to quell this rage inside of me." She sighed and lifted her hand to stare at tiny seashells she'd gathered when the water rushed in. "As much as I desire to protect, I cannot. I can only fight, and hope to be of some use to him." She murmured. Again the pained look crossed her features, and she clenched her hand hard, the shells crunching. Blood almost immediately began dripping from her clenched hand, and Narlafayn knelt beside her in worry.

"Don't do that…saltwater makes it bleed faster." Narlafayn said gently, taking her hand and opening it. She picked the broken shells from her skin and pulled a piece of fabric from her breastplate to press against the wound. Her lips parted slightly as she realized it was the clan crest Luther had given her. She'd almost forgotten that she had joined their clan, and guilt gnawed at her insides for not trying to contact them to see if they made it through the siege all right. She sighed through her nose and looked up at Emixia, who was watching the blood that had dripped from her hand swirl in the sea foam curiously. "Who's he?" she asked, thinking Emixia meant her father.

"I met him in Elmore." Again she answered without hesitation, her open trusting of Narlafayn reminding her of a child's innocence. Narlafayn looked up at her, and found her once again with the pained face. "He is…very similar to me. I…I can understand what is inside of him." She looked up at Narlafayn, frustration touching her features, as if she were having difficulty finding the right words. "But he does not want a companion like me. I am merely his pet, something to go out and destroy for him when he must be in two places at once." Her eyes began to well up with tears, and she squinted them shut as hard as she could before rubbing her eyes vigorously with her free hand. "I am useless to him when I am weak like this, so this is the last time I shall be human. When I go out there again, I will be the insane half-Orc that everyone fears." She said, her voice thick.

"What kind of person would want another to be like that? Surely he doesn't feel that way…" Narlafayn said gently, still pressing the crest into Emixia's hand. Her response was a short laugh, and she looked up at Narlafayn, her eyes bloodshot from tears.

"There is only one woman that he will keep close to him even if she has nothing to offer. I am only to remain by his side when he needs to accomplish something, and for that I must be fierce, and obedient. This that I am now, this weak, heartsick woman…he has no use for someone like that." She said, her voice rising in frustration. Narlafayn looked down at her feet, understanding too well how Emixia felt. She idly wondered if Emixia could've fallen for Deathswalker as well, by the way she talked. Emixia let out a heavy sigh before withdrawing her hand from Narlafayn's. "The rage is building again, I must go." She murmured, pushing herself to her feet. "Thank you for being kind to me. I only wish I could thank Sprissa as well before the Orc takes over again."

"I'm sure your rage will be quelled and we can talk like this again." Narlafayn said, desperation creeping into her voice. Emixia was so gentle now, and it pained her to hear that it was to disappear. Emixia gave her a tiny, sad smile as she wrung the water from her dress.

"It is too risky. If I want to remain near him, this side of me must be locked away." She gazed out over the water again, her face expressionless. "I must ask that you forgive anything I do from now on. The Orc…she is childish and impulsive." With that, she gave Narlafayn one last smile and walked away, following the beach in the direction of the Langk Lizardman Dwelling. The Panther Narlafayn remembered from the Orc Village materialized from a dark portal in the air behind her and bounded to keep up with her. Narlafayn stood, one hand still clutching the bloody clan crest as she watched Emixia get farther and farther away. She wanted to help her, but felt helpless as to how.

"Till we meet again." Narlafayn murmured, more of a promise than a farewell.

Two months later, Narlafayn stood in Dion with her eyes squinted shut into an annoyed thin line. She had just finally finished her first task and received the Mark of Duty for her work. Now she waited for Cardien, the Elven Master in Dion to finish socializing with an Elf standing in front of her to get her next task. She had tried to interrupt them unsuccessfully several times, only to be hushed. Now she tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for him.

"I told you, Amari is in Oren waiting for us, we need to get back there." The familiar voice of Gatz came. Narlafayn turned towards it, a smile growing on her face as the Warlord entered, trailed by Koyori.

"But I want to go to the wedding! I need to catch that bouquet!" Koyori growled with such ferocity, Narlafayn got the strange impression of a beast trying to protect a piece of meat.

"What wedding?" Narlafayn asked loudly. Gatz yelped and tripped over his feet, his heel catching a shield that someone had left lying precariously in the middle of the Warrior's guild and sending him crashing to the ground.

"Why do I ALWAYS get hurt around you?" he asked angrily, laying flat on his back. Narlafayn giggled and held out her hand to help him stand. Gatz was right though, she seemed to always do nothing but startle and injure the youth when they would cross paths.

"Geez, where have you been?" Koyori asked snootily as Gatz stood. "Ryonai got the medicine to Cesa and now she and Celleriant are getting married." She tossed her hair over her shoulders and puffed up her chest. "I keep telling Gatz that I need to get back there so I can catch the bouquet. Whosoever catches a bouquet at an Elven wedding is sure to get married later."

"Married, huh?" Narlafayn said without emotion, glancing at Gatz. He had looked away and was pretending to be interested in something on the ceiling. Still like Sharmin, huh. She thought. I guess Celleriant managed to get her that sapling from the Enchanted Valley after all. She giggled to herself with that thought, amused that Cesa was so predictable.

Recognizing Gatz as the nephew of Sir Collin, the Grand Master of the Dion Warrior's Guild suddenly called out his name and drew him away from the girls. He patted him heartily on his back and introduced him to a colleague who was a pretty red-haired girl wearing a quiver. Narlafayn swallowed her laugh as Koyori began to fume in jealousy.

"Aren't you a little young to be thinking about marriage yet?" Narlafayn asked, trying to smother her grin. Koyori glared at her quickly before returning her focus on Gatz.

"Sir Collin will retire soon and Gatz is the only Windawood to take his place as Governor of Talking Island. It's never too soon for him to think about marriage." Koyori sniffed indignantly. Narlafayn's mirth was instantly replaced by annoyance, and she lowered her eyelids at the girl.

"So you're just clinging to him because you want a comfortable life?" Narlafayn asked. Koyori shrugged and daintily brushed some phantom dirt from her blue skirt.

"Nothing wrong with wanting to be comfortable." She said lightly. "Much better than running around with a sword in your hand the rest of your life." Narlafayn folded her arms across her chest, her brow furrowing as her annoyance increased.

"Then why the hell did you become a Cleric?" Narlafayn asked with more force than she intended. Koyori's stuck-up attitude was just adding to her earlier sour mood.

"Prophet, thank you. Some of us are already ahead of other flat-chested bimbos." Koyori stated, and somehow Narlafayn knew she was referring to Sharmin's sister Komugi. "And why else would a dainty maiden like me go out into this harsh world? To find a suitable husband of course. You don't find those just sitting around that go-nowhere Talking Island Village." She gave Narlafayn a curt, satisfied smile. "And it seems I've found one without having to look far. Tell me, have you gotten that much?"

"Dainty maiden my ass." Narlafayn said under her breath. Audibly she returned Koyori's smile with a sarcastic one. "I wouldn't make plans so quickly. Things aren't what they seem." Narlafayn said in a controlled voice. When Koyori's snobby look began to fade, Narlafayn's smile turned sinisterly sweet. "Excuse me, see you around." She dismissed as Cardien finally finished his conversation. She could feel Koyori glaring at the back of her head as she listened carefully to his instructions for her next task. She smiled to herself, feeling strangely satisfied that Koyori's carefully laid plans were about as stable as thin ice.

She retrieved Terebel and Vuylay from the Dark Elven Guild after learning that she was to return to the Elven Village for her next task, and reveled in the good luck of it all. They arrived in the Village that evening to find it a flurry of activity.

"All this for a wedding?" Vuylay said, stepping out of the way as an Elf raced by, streamers fluttering from his arms.

"Wedding?" Terebel echoed, his face blank.

"Didn't you pay attention when Narlafayn told us Cesa and Celleriant are getting married?" Vuylay asked bitterly.

"Nope." He answered bluntly. "I was too busy imagining myself back in the Execution Grounds, cutting down undead." He said, his voice taking on a dreamy quality. Narlafayn and Vuylay took several scooting steps away from him as a dark grin spread on his face.

"Hurry up and respond to his affections already, the lack of sexual release is turning him into a blood lusting fiend." Vuylay said to Narlafayn from the corner of her mouth. Narlafayn's face reddened and she turned away from them quickly, looking for a distraction.

"It's about time someone got back! Over here!" Lavinia shouted, waving at them to draw their attention. The trio dodged several more decoration-laden Elves as they approached the north exit, where Lavinia stood. "This is nuts, Grandfather is really going crazy with all of this." She stated bitterly. Narlafayn blinked at an attractive Light Elf that stood by Lavinia's side. His skin was tanned, and his blonde hair pale enough to almost be silver. He had a more masculine quality to his features than most Light Elf men did. Noticing how she stared, Terebel came up and planted himself next to Narlafayn, as if to lay claim on her.

"Everyone's acting like the wedding is tonight, what's the deal?" Vuylay asked, watching as two Elves crashed into each other comedically.

"That's the thing, it IS tonight. Grandfather received a summons from the Ivory Tower and has to go up to Schuttgart on a missionary trip. He wants to officiate their marriage so the date was pushed up to tonight. Wait, how'd you find out they were engaged?" Lavinia asked, tilting her head at them with a frown.

"Koyori told me in Dion and I passed on the word." Narlafayn explained.

"She's not coming, is she?" Lavinia asked uneasily. She breathed in relief as Narlafayn shook her head. "Good, she and Mune were about to kill each other according to Ryonai. Apparently Mune thinks Koyori is forcing Gatz to stay with her, and she's gone on a crusade to 'free him from oppression.'" She shook her head and sighed bitterly.

"Would you mind introducing me to these people before I embarrass you, Lavinia?" The Light Elf standing next to her finally said. Lavinia looked at him blankly for a moment.

"Oh. I guess I should do that." She said absent-mindedly. "This is my twin brother, Calisan. Calisan, this is Narlafayn, Vuylay and according to Grandfather, our long-lost Uncle, Terebel." There was a moment of silence following her introduction as Terebel blanched out at his title while Calisan stared blankly at him. Vuylay lowered her head and pressed her hand against her mouth, trying to swallow the fit of giggles that suddenly hit her.

Recovering quickly, Calisan stepped in front of Terebel and faced Narlafayn, lifting her hand to kiss it elegantly. "Enchanted, beautiful one." Calisan said suavely, kissing her hand. Narlafayn felt a blush creeping up unbidden on her cheeks. Behind him, Terebel began to bear fangs at his head and hiss. "Narlafayn…that name is so exotically ancient; I never thought I'd hear it outside of text recordings." He said, holding her one hand now between the two of his.

"You've heard my name before?" Narlafayn asked curiously. "I thought my parents made it up…"

"Narlafayn has to take a bath from the trip, she's rather stinky." Terebel suddenly interjected, pulling them apart. Narlafayn went into an instant glare as he stared at Calisan in a male challenging stance while Vuylay continued to laugh behind her.

"I am not!" Narlafayn snapped, her face now red in embarrassment. Calisan regarded Terebel without expression, and then flashed an Apollo-like smile around him at Narlafayn.

"My uncle is a jealous suitor I see." He grinned. Unable to keep herself upright, Vuylay had placed a heavy hand on Lavinia's shoulder and still struggled to keep her laughter silent.

"It's not that funny…" Lavinia said to her, raising an eyebrow. "In any case, you might want to go get cleaned up anyway. Because Cesa loves Grand Saint's Day so much, Grandfather has organized the reception to be a masquerade." She motioned towards their house with a loose hand. "Just be sure not to go into her room while you're in here, she's extremely traditional and won't let anyone see her before the wedding. I have to go greet all of the people from out of town that Grandfather invited."

"I suppose we'll continue our conversation later then." Calisan said elegantly, taking Narlafayn's hand again to kiss it. Terebel put his hand between them, causing Calisan to kiss it instead.

"I didn't know you cared~." Terebel said in a feminine voice, putting a hand to his cheek like a blushing schoolgirl. Calisan dropped Narlafayn's hand like it was hot, and clenched his jaw shut as he glared at Terebel.

"Yes, we will." Narlafayn said to Calisan with a smile. She cast a glare in Terebel's direction before smiling at Calisan again and turning to walk towards the house. Terebel watched her go, his glare matching the one she had given him.

"I'm following my part of the bargain, why can't she follow hers?" Terebel asked Vuylay as she calmed enough to stand upright. Lavinia and Calisan had already moved on, heading towards the Gatekeeper to greet people.

"I don't think she was intentionally flirting with him. I'll have to say I'm intrigued to know where he's heard Narlafayn's name before too, cuz I've never heard a name like hers before I knew her." Vuylay said breathlessly. "Don't be so uptight and jealous, just because she looks at another guy doesn't mean she's interested, unlike some people I know." She pointedly stared at him without blinking and he turned away from her.

"Don't know what you're babbling about." Terebel said airily with a sniff.

"Uh huh. I'd go get cleaned up if I were you, you reek of sweat and unfulfilled hormones." Vuylay said, deadpan. Terebel mimicked her words with a bitter face as she walked away before sighing heavily and staring out across the Village center. The way Narlafayn's eyes lit up when Lavinia told her it was going to be a party like one on Grand Saint's Day made him feel strange, and he didn't like it.

The wedding was slow and more drawn-out than Glarawen and Arvalo's had been. Cesa and Celleriant stood beneath the Mother Tree with about two feet between them, holding hands that had been bound together with red ribbon. This was a traditional Elven Wedding, full of the strange language that Narlafayn had heard Glarawen and Arvalo speak before. She finally found out that it was ancient Elfish, and was almost considered a dead language. For someone to know the language meant they were more in tune with the nature of things, and could easily control the forces of the world with just a simple sentence.

Now considered part of their family, Terebel was forced to stand near Cesa and Celleriant. Ballard had mistakenly put him next to Mune, who spent her time glaring at him and reaching for her sword which she seemed to keep forgetting that she'd taken off. According to ancient Elfish tradition, which Ballard included in his speech before pronouncing them bound for life, the pair was not allowed to consummate their marriage until the next full moon. A small party would accompany them to the ruins that new couples used as a consummation area, and there would be a tribal sort of dance that would call forth the spirits of the water and air to bless any children that may come from their first union. If the couple consummated their marriage before the full moon, then they would be considered divorced in the eyes of the Village Elders and any children that would come from their union would not be recognized as an Elf. Narlafayn was surprised that such a strict rule existed, and now understood why Glarawen and Arvalo went for a more human-like wedding instead of a traditional Elfish one.

Terebel murmured something to Lavinia at the end of the wedding, and slipped away just as Celleriant placed a shy kiss on Cesa's lips. There was no raucous cheering like the previous wedding, and instead everyone clapped politely.

"To the party!" Ballard said after the new couple had turned to face the group gathered there.

"Where did Terebel go?" Narlafayn asked Lavinia as she waded through the bodies walking towards the Village.

"Said he was going to find some unicorns to kill or something. He seemed on edge." Lavinia shrugged. Narlafayn frowned and her fists balled at her sides.

"Shall I escort you to the party instead?" Calisan asked, offering his arm. Narlafayn smiled at him in a friendly manner and accepted his offer by slipping her arm around his. She glanced over her shoulder one last time, staring forlornly into the forest for any sign of Terebel.

The reception began in a similar manner to the Grand Saint's Day Party. Instead of the white and silver bodice and skirt she'd worn before, Narlafayn now wore Vuylay's black Elven Tunic set which had been magically modified to fit her. It now resembled a cloth version of her Mithril armor, only the gaiters now consisted of a short skirt with a longer half skirt over that, much like her bronze armor had been. She wore an eye mask similar to the one from her first party, only this one was black with tiny diamonds studded around it.

Vuylay wore a green and white richly embroidered robe set known as Divine for the party this time, and accompanied Ryonai and Shizuka, who were both wearing white and violet Avadon robes and armor. Calisan remained by her side for much of the night, and danced with her several times, but Narlafayn found herself moodily glaring over the mass of bodies gathered in the center of the Village, looking for any sign of Terebel.

The moon rose full, and Lavinia, Shizuka, Mune and Calisan were among the people who left the Village to take Cesa and Celleriant to the consummation place. Calisan had spoke little of where he had heard her name before, only saying that there was a text in the Ivory Tower that mentioned her name in part of a myth that had been passed down through the Children of Shilen – the band of Shilen worshippers that existed during the Elmoreden era. He said it was spelled in there as 'Nerafan', but couldn't recall the meaning of it.

Repeating the first Grand Saint's Day party she attended perfectly, Narlafayn sighed heavily and stood near the stairs leading to the raised level of the Village. Unlike previously, the party only seemed to pick as the night went on, the full moon invigorating the senses of the Elves and Dark Elves present. Vuylay had somehow cornered Ryonai against a house and was kissing him shyly. He didn't seem to be disgusted by her anymore, and had his hands resting on the small of her back. Narlafayn smiled at Vuylay's fortune, and turned to retreat into the house, ready to retire.

A figure caught her peripheral vision, and Narlafayn froze, her heart pounding in her throat. Eyes wide behind her mask, she turned her head slowly to find a Dark Elf—no, THE Dark Elf from the Grand Saint's Day party leaning against the exact same house she'd first seen him by. He still wore the richly colored Arcane robes she remembered him wearing before, and a red and gold mask hid the upper half of his face from view. His gaze was intense as always, and he had his arms folded across his chest, as if he had been merely waiting for her to notice him. No Light Elf accompanied him this time, and Narlafayn didn't stop herself as her feet closed the distance between the two of them.

He stood up straight as she reached him, and put his fingers gently on her lips as she leaned forward to kiss him. Narlafayn's breath came out shaky against his fingertips. Being merely in his presence again sent shivers through her limbs, and her heart pounded so hard against her chest she knew he had to hear it. Their eye contact never once breaking, he gently wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her behind the house, out of view.

Needing the support of something stable, Narlafayn leaned against the house, her hands sliding against the rough stucco as he pressed himself close to her. She shut her eyes as he slid his hands up her arms to her neck and then to cup her cheeks, removing her mask the same way he'd done before. Placing a supporting knee between her legs, against the house, he leaned down and kissed her in a heated manner. Narlafayn sighed and leaned her head to the side as he began to kiss down her neck, his hands moving lower to undo the clasps holding the outer tunic closed.

Remembering that she had still not seen his face, Narlafayn forced logic through her pudding brain, and slid her own hands up his shoulders and brought them to rest against his cheeks. He stopped kissing her neck and pulled back just enough to stare into her eyes, his hands still poised in the act of unfastening her robe.

"May I?" she asked in a breathless whisper. He lowered his head slightly in assent, shutting his eyes as she slowly pulled the mask from his face. A soft gasp escaped her lips as Terebel opened his eyes to look at her, an expression of softness and yearning she'd never seen before on his face. "All this time…it was you?" she asked, her throat unexpectedly seizing with emotion. He said nothing, and raised a hand to cup her cheek, his thumb stroking the skin under her eye.

"I think I l…" he began, then paused, shutting his eyes as she put her own hand against his cheek. He turned to kiss her palm before letting out his own shaky sigh.

"What in Eva's name are you DOING?" Mune's screech came. Not pulling away from one another, Terebel and Narlafayn looked up with wide eyes to find the younger Elf standing near the gates, her fists clenched at her sides and seething. It was now that the amorous pair discovered that, while not in sight of the party, they were in clear view of the west gate, where the consummation group was filing back in through.

"Gee, everyone's hormones are raging tonight." Lavinia said in disgust, looking away from them.

"Get your filthy hands off of her you disgusting lump of stale bread!" Mune snarled, grabbing Narlafayn's arm and pulling her away from him. Terebel had a firm grip on her other arm, and jerked her back towards him.

"My Narlafayn. Go get your own." He growled, glaring at his niece.

"There you are my son! Come with me, let's bond!" a slightly slurring Ballard suddenly exclaimed, wobbling as he jaunted towards the group.

"Not _now_…" Terebel growled again, this time sounding more like a whine. "Gol damn it, is everyone trying to make me a eunuch?" he moaned as Ballard put an arm across his shoulders. The mood thoroughly ruined, Narlafayn reluctantly withdrew her arm from his grasp and let Mune drag her back to the house. Vuylay followed sullenly behind, staring at the ground with an unreadable expression. Behind her, Ryonai and Shizuka were back in a lip lock, and Narlafayn could only assume that Vuylay would be sleeping in Cesa's empty room so she could deal with Shizuka's emotions in peace.

Narlafayn gave Terebel a sheepish grin as she was led towards the house. He watched her go with a forlorn expression, Ballard talking to him about the book he'd just been reading. The distinct image of Terebel scowling darkly and holding a glowing red sword suddenly flashed through her inner eye, and Narlafayn blinked hard against it.

_It was just a dream!_ She insisted to herself as they entered the house. _Just a dream…_


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

_In which the stories come together_

It was two weeks after the wedding when Lavinia, Mune, Narlafayn and Vuylay had their breakfast interrupted by Cesa, who burst into the house so fast that the door almost flew off of its hinges. She paused several feet from the table, panting in exertion, her cheeks a bright pink and a grin plastered on her face. Each of the girls stopped mid bite or chew to stare at her uneasily, fearing what she was going to tell them.

"I'm pregnant!" she said excitedly. There was a moment of hushed silence as if all the noise had been sucked into a vacuum space, when suddenly everyone's forks clattered to their plates. Mune was the first to recover and stood quickly, while the rest stared with dumb looks on their faces.

"You've been married for two friggin weeks, what the hell!" she exclaimed, staring at her sister intensely. Cesa giggled and rubbed her own belly gently.

"I suppose it's the blessing of the Mother Tree…we made love there rather freque—"

"I would like to keep my breakfast down please!" Lavinia said loudly, interrupting the impending story that would reveal too much information about Cesa's married life.

"Uh…congratulations…?" Vuylay spoke up.

"Oh, I must go tell the Young Mother Tree in the center of the Village and then make a pilgrimage to the southern part of the forest and tell the Young Mother Tree there the news as well!" Cesa bubbled. She giggled to herself and then spun on her toes, leaving the house as quickly as she entered. The door slammed in the wind wake behind her, and several vases of expensive origin fell off their display shelves on the wall and shattered.

"Should she uh…be traveling that far now?" Narlafayn asked uneasily, recalling that the journey to the Young Mother Tree near Iris Lake took nearly two days there and back. Sighing heavily Lavinia stood up, her appetite lost.

"She'll be fine; she's made that journey dozens of times and could probably do it in her sleep if she wanted to." She said, taking her plate into the kitchen.

"What the hell have they been spending their time doing to get pregnant that fast?" Mune grumbled, shoveling the rest of her food in her mouth.

"Do you REALLY want to know?" Vuylay asked, a wicked gleam in her eye. Mune's mouth clamped shut in a minute and she glared at Vuylay, realizing what she'd just asked.

"Hey Narlafayn, this letter just came for you." Terebel called as he entered the home without knocking. Mune whipped around quickly and began growling at him like an angry badger. Not looking at her, he reached down and flipped a buckle on her breastplate as he passed, which caused a chain reaction of her armor falling from her body. Mune yelped in a girlish manner and clung to the crumbling armor, too busy to keep herself decent to worry about her traditional murder attempt at Terebel.

Narlafayn took the letter from his outstretched hand as he sat down in Lavinia's vacated seat and began to help himself to what was left of Mune's breakfast. Still trying to get her armor under control she could only cast him a few hateful glares.

"Bad news?" Vuylay asked, as Narlafayn's eyes moved quickly back and forth over the parchment.

"No, it's a letter from Leon." She murmured. "He's been hiding out near Hunter's Village, but he's going to be heading back to Oren to restock soon. He wants to meet me in Giran." Narlafayn couldn't help but feel relief flood her senses, happy that Leon was all right.

"Who's Leon?" Terebel asked, not masking the jealousy in his voice.

"A friend that got caught up in that Conviction war too." Narlafayn said, letting her relief show in her smile. She clutched the letter to her chest with one hand and stood.

"Where are you going?" Terebel asked again, the jealousy growing in his tone.

"To pack, I'm going to head for Giran tonight, he might already be there!" Narlafayn called as she wandered into her room.

"Stop it." Vuylay commanded as Terebel's face darkened. "Leon IS her friend. The boy is so dense when it comes to female affection that even if Narla did like him, it'd just go right through him." She took a bite of her food.

"Stop always assuming I'm jealous." Terebel pouted, turning away from her.

"You are, you've got it bad for our silver-haired vixen." Vuylay grinned. Mune's head snapped up and her shoulder guard fell from her body with the movement. Terebel dropped the toast he'd pilfered from Mune's plate, which landed on the floor, jellied-side down.

"I don't fall for anyone, thank you!" Terebel said curtly, staring hard at Vuylay. "That would interfere with my chances to flirt with other chicks, and I do so love the ladies."

"Uh huh." Vuylay agreed sarcastically. "That's why you're suffering through what, three months now with barely any physical interaction with anyone after not being able to go three days without getting some. Let me guess, you're just refraining because you finally picked up an STD?" Terebel's eyed bugged out at Vuylay who smirked at him, satisfied. "So you did fall for her."

"This talk is making me nauseous." Mune growled, still unable to do anything but hold her armor to her body.

"Then walk away." Terebel stated blandly, standing up. He pulled a string as he passed Mune on his way out the door, and the tunic underneath her composite armor suddenly slipped from her shoulders.

"I HATE YOU!" She shouted as he shut the door.

Narlafayn left the Elven Village that day after saying farewell to Lavinia, Mune and Celleriant. Cesa had already left to talk to the Young Mother Tree near the Iris Lake. They alternated taking Gatekeeper spells and walking halfway before using a scroll to make it to Giran.

They arrived in the bustling city five days after leaving the Elven Village. Another five days they waited, until Terebel began to fidget, claiming he was getting restless and needed to get out and hunt. Sighing in defeat, Narlafayn pushed herself up from where she had perched herself on the stairs leading to the grand Cathedral behind her, and quietly followed her Dark Elf friends.

They trekked for several days north, hunting monsters along the way. Vuylay had surprised her by admitting that she too was starting her tasks to become a Shilen Elder, and they needed to hunt the small dragons known as Drakes to collect talons for it.

On the fourth day of travel, the trio walked calmly towards the southern entrance to Death Pass. Narlafayn had felt anxiety gnaw at her insides as they traveled towards the Pass, and now as it was in sight, the feeling intensified.

Her ears picking up the sounds of crunching dirt, Narlafayn glanced over her shoulder to see two dark figures, one lithe and skinny and one large and muscular, running towards them. Recalling the time in Cruma Marshlands with clarity that she wished she didn't have, Narlafayn felt her heart leap into her throat.

"Run." She murmured, drawing Vuylay and Terebel's attention. The pair approached faster than anticipated, and Narlafayn pushed Vuylay behind her and Terebel as they drew their swords. The pair turned out to be a Dark Elf and an Orc, and they came barreling towards them with weapons drawn.

The Dark Elf went straight for Terebel and Narlafayn quickly readied herself for the Orc, even though she knew her chances to defeat him would be slim. As Terebel and the Dark Elf met swords, Narlafayn's eyes widened as she recognized Damascus.

"Dama!" she said in surprise before the Orc slammed the handle of his pole axe into her gut. The wind was knocked from her as he pushed her along the dirt ground, finally coming to rest as he slammed her against a half dead tree.

"No hard feelings, Narla." Damascus murmured as she winced and doubled over. "We would've just run past you, but Sainty's still a little pissed at your boyfriend there."

"Leave her alone!" Vuylay shouted, and began to cast a spell that would bind him to the spot. He looked over his shoulder at her as her spell seemed to bounce ineffectively off of him. One hand still pressing the pole axe into Narlafayn's abdomen, he used his other to grab a short mace from a loop at his waist and flung it at Vuylay. It smacked her in the gut, and she crumpled to the ground with an 'oof'. Sainty and Terebel seemed to be well-matched, and Terebel growled loudly as he noticed how Damascus had immobilized both women.

"So then Narla, how have you been?" Damascus asked casually, as if they were visiting pleasantly with each other. She winced and pushed against the pole axe handle, trying to ease the pain in her gut.

"What have we done to you? Terebel was just protecting me before! You would've killed me if he hadn't stepped in!" Narlafayn said, her voice raspy and without breath. Damascus shrugged lightly and glanced over his shoulder as the two Bladedancers continued to clash swords. Sainty had replaced one of his swords with a shield, which he raised to deflect many of Terebel's attacks.

"Clan politics, Narla. He put himself in the middle of a war and assisted the side you were on by luring Sainty out. That injury cost us and more of Redemption's side got in and killed more of our people. We lost Oren castle the next time Redemption went up against us thanks to that." He said with a heavy sigh. "We're on clean-up duty now, got to get rid of a few stragglers from a clan that decided to pull out of the alliance when we needed them the most." He tsked as Sainty yelped, Terebel thrusting one of his swords forward and slicing a cut in his cheek. "And I wouldn't have killed you. Injured you gravely, yes, but not kill. That's the price of being in a clan, didn't you know that?"

Again his condescending attitude struck her temper in a sour way, and Narlafayn felt rage building within her chest. Strength pooling in her muscles, she wrapped her hands around the pole axe handle and began to push, glaring at Damascus through the top of her eyes. He blinked at her in surprise as she began to push him away, his feet sliding ever so slightly in the dirt. Her pupils were beginning to widen, choking out the violet iris and extending into her whites.

"All I know is that you've been a big cause of more hurt in my life than good." She said in a voice different from her normal. Realizing something was not right with the Elf in front of him, Damascus allowed her to push him away. As she righted herself he withdrew a hand and punched her as hard as he could in her gut. Caught off guard, she doubled over, only to have her head yanked up roughly as he grabbed her by her hair. His hand tightly gripping the hair at the base of her head, Damascus leaned down and kissed her in an un-romantic, rough way. Her pupils returning to their normal state, Narlafayn struggled against him and pushed him away by placing her hands between their mouths. "What are you doing?" she exclaimed, trying to turn her head despite his grip on her hair.

Behind them, Terebel landed a blow on Sainty that caused him to fall flat on his bottom. Not hesitating, his face dark, Terebel darted forward, bringing his swords around to either lop of Sainty's head or cut his throat. Barely dodging it, Sainty laid flat against the ground and sat up again once Terebel's swords had passed, launching a handful of dirt right into his face. Terebel coughed and winced, backing away and leaning over as he tried to clear his vision.

"Sainty, we've wasted too much time here; the straggler is going to get away." Damascus said sharply. Sainty looked up at him in surprise, then disappointment.

"Ok fine. That was a good warm-up though." He said brightly, sheathing his sword.

"We're not through here!" Terebel said between coughing and spitting. He stumbled slightly, still trying to clear his vision. Ignoring him, Sainty calmly walked over to Vuylay who was weakly pushing herself to sit up, and retrieved Damascus' mace. Damascus released Narlafayn's hair and she fell limply to her knees, her stomach sending ricochets of pain through her torso.

"I'll see you later Narla." Damascus said in a friendly tone. "Oh yeah, Deathswalker has been in the northern side of the continent, roaming between Goddard and Aden, just in case you were looking for him." With that he and Sainty walked away from the group, talking casually as if the fight had never happened.

The group remained in their respective spots, away from each other for nearly an hour and a half, trying to get their bearings as to what had just transpired. "Are you alright?" Terebel's voice finally came, as he knelt beside Narlafayn. She looked up at him, still clutching her stomach. His eyes were bloodshot and despite the calm expression he wore, she could tell he was still very angry. She nodded and leaned heavily on his arm as he helped her to her feet. She limped over to Vuylay, who was lying flat on her back with one arm draped over her eyes.

"You know some real assholes there, Narla." She stated.

They camped overnight off the path, near the path leading to Breka's Stronghold, protected by craggy rocks. The next day they began their journey anew, warier, but still determined to get to the Drakes for Vuylay's task. Terebel was quiet as they walked, angry even then over what had happened.

By late afternoon, footsteps began approaching them rapidly. The trio looked around themselves warily, Terebel drawing his swords in preparation. The footfalls echoed off of the craggy mountainsides they walked between, and they could not place the direction the running was coming from.

Suddenly being bowled over by something hard, Narlafayn yelped and fell onto her bottom ungracefully. The person then proceeded to run over her, not caring that Narlafayn's hands were being trampled, until Terebel grabbed the offender's wrist and pulled them back roughly. Narlafayn and Vuylay blinked in surprise as Sharmin was brought down to her knees, tripping over her own feet as her flight was hindered. Sharmin looked up at Terebel with watery eyes, and then turned an equally surprised expression on Vuylay and Narlafayn.

"Geez Sharmin, what's the hurry?" Narlafayn asked, annoyed that Sharmin would just trample over her. She stood up and rubbed her bottom underneath her armor. A look of instant relief crossed Sharmin's face and she succumbed to heavy sobbing. The trio blinked in unison, surprised at her sudden outburst.

"I know I'm that good looking but geez, I didn't expect I'd ever get a reaction like this." Terebel said, his eyebrows lifted. Narlafayn cast him an annoyed glare and knocked the back of her hand against his chest lightly. Something was bothering Sharmin, and now was not the time to be making a joke. Making an attempt at sympathy, Vuylay knelt beside Sharmin and put a hand on her shoulder, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Hey, it's ok, we're here…" she attempted, unused to comforting hysterics. Sharmin looked up at her for scarcely a second before latching onto her in a hug, her face disappearing into Vuylay's cleavage as she continued to cry. Giving Narlafayn and an amused Terebel a bewildered look she raised a hesitant hand to pat Sharmin curtly on her back. "There, there. It's ok." She attempted, not enjoying the moisture dripping into her cleavage.

Narlafayn lifted her head swiftly as she heard more footfalls approaching. Her face lit up as she recognized the faces of Leon and Junk Pixie, whose own faces echoed her surprise. A shorter, older man with brown hair peppered with gray walked behind them, looking at the group curiously. The distinct odor of death hit her nostrils as he approached, and Narlafayn had to resist the urge to gag.

"Leon!" she exclaimed as they neared. She dropped her sword and shield to the ground ungracefully and darted forward to give her friend a tight hug. He returned it, a look of relief on his own face. Terebel's face darkened as he watched them, and Leon opened his eyes to stare at the glaring Dark Elf curiously. "Pixie!" Narlafayn exclaimed in turn and hugged the small Dwarf, not noticing the electricity that Terebel was firing at Leon.

"Hey Panties Lady!" Junk Pixie said happily, hugging her back. "You're still showing them off, I'm so happy you didn't change! Are you charging money now for viewing pleasure?" Annoyance with the Dwarf's fascination with her underpants, Narlafayn withdrew to bop Junk Pixie on the back of her head. Her eyes welled up almost instantly with crocodile tears and her shoulders shook a few times before she let out one loud sob, then sniffled and wiped her face. Her expression returned to the one of serene happiness, as if she had never cried in the first place.

"Neat, is there a switch back there or something?" Terebel asked, moving next to Junk Pixie and whapping her in the same place Narlafayn had. Her response for him however, was a swift kick to the shins and an annoyed glare.

"Can someone please dislodge Sharmin so I can greet everyone too?" Vuylay requested in a whining voice from the ground. His expression turning to one of gentle pity, Leon knelt beside them and pulled Sharmin away from Vuylay. He guided her chin around to look at him, making sure she met his eyes.

"Sharmin, it's ok. You did the right thing. It's ok to cry for what had to happen, but I was going to do the same thing if you hadn't." Leon said in a soft voice, staring into her eyes intently. Narlafayn tilted her head slightly, recognizing Leon's words to be the exact same thing he'd said to her when she went into hysterics after killing Phuong. Could Sharmin have killed someone? "What Ferrol did to him was unforgivable. You didn't do anything wrong." Narlafayn looked up at the older man who watched them without expression, and assumed he was the Ferrol that Leon had spoken of. She looked back down at them and cleared her throat as he brushed the tears from Sharmin's cheeks and gave her a tiny smile.

"Should we leave you guys be?" she asked, amused.

"Whatever for?" Leon asked, the innocence in his voice not feigned. A vein of annoyance popped out on Narlafayn's forehead and she sighed heavily while placing a hand to her head.

"Now see here you…" she began, her voice steady. She couldn't believe that Leon was obviously traveling with Sharmin, and still oblivious to her affection for him.

"I'm sooooo happy to see you Leon darling!" Vuylay suddenly exclaimed, interrupting her. Still the avid Gatz supporter, Vuylay cleverly broke up the conversation by throwing herself at Leon. The youth stood before she reached him, and Vuylay crashed comically to the ground.

"The big boobies do make her bounce!" Junk Pixie laughed, and pointed.

"Don't laugh!" Vuylay demanded as she pushed herself to her knees, her cheeks red with embarrassment. She looked up at Terebel, who had his head ducked down and was laughing silently to himself. "Terebel, a little sympathy for a fellow Dark Elf would be extremely handy right about now." She grumbled. Terebel turned away from her and folded his arms behind his head, gazing into the sky in an aloof manner.

"Better you than me." He said lightly. Vuylay growled and pushed herself to her feet, brushing the dirt from her smoky black skirt.

"As fun as this reunion is for all of you, might I suggest we continue it as we move, as the longer we linger here, the more likely it is that we'll draw unneeded attention to ourselves?" Ferrol suddenly said, walking past them. "I would like to arrive in Giran before the week is up, thank you. I have much to report now." Narlafayn lifted an eyebrow as the party sullenly moved past the trio, giving them sad farewell smiles.

"Why don't you just use a Gatekeeper scroll?" she finally asked before they had gotten far. A blank look passed over their faces before a unanimous "oh yeah!" came from all four of them. Her head pounding from an instant, stabbing headache, Narlafayn put another hand to up to her temple to quell it. Terebel stared at them blankly, not believing that all four of them could be so dense. They began to rummage through their supply bags at Narlafayn's suggestion, each pulling out their scrolls and unrolling them. A flash of light flared from the scrolls and the party disappeared, leaving the trio to stare into the air blankly.

"Well, so now what? Are we continuing into Death Pass?" Narlafayn asked, turning to face her friends.

"I don't know about you, but my esteem for travel has suddenly been dulled down." Terebel muttered, sheathing the sword he still held.

"Let's go back, I know you're dying to see Leon again." Vuylay said heavily, but smirked and glanced coyly at Terebel. His face was instantly overshadowed by his hair, and Vuylay grinned triumphantly to herself.

After opening their scrolls in unison, they all landed in Giran, first Terebel, and then Narlafayn on top of him, and then Vuylay on top of them both. "Normally I would be rather enthralled at the prospect of this threesome, but I really can't breathe." Terebel wheezed. Vuylay pushed herself from them quickly, but as Narlafayn tried to rise, Terebel grabbed her arms and pulled her back down on his chest. "Ok you can go." He told Vuylay, shooing her with a wave of his hand. Smiling despite herself, Narlafayn relaxed slightly, her cheek pressed against his chest plate and had just shut her eyes in satisfaction when Vuylay snatched her by the back of her armor and hefted her to her feet.

"Am I disturbing you?" Leon asked as Vuylay brought Narlafayn upright. Her face went pink instantly at the bemused grin Leon had and she smoothed her hair down with her hands quickly.

"Nah, just a mishap while using the scroll." Narlafayn stated quickly. Terebel slowly pushed himself to his feet, glaring darkly at Leon once again.

"Well I've got to check into the Cathedral really fast, so I'll catch up with you later, alright? Don't leave Giran without talking to me first!" he warned playfully. Narlafayn saluted him jokingly as he turned away and wandered into the Cathedral.

"Well, here we are, back again." Vuylay sighed. "Might as well go get another room in the inn…" her voice cut off abruptly and her eyes widened. Her entire body stiffened and Narlafayn blinked at her in confusion for a moment before sighing.

"Again? Doesn't his libido ever wear out?" she said in annoyance. "We'll see you around then." She said dismissively, waving her hand to urge Vuylay towards the inn.

"So it's just us?" Terebel said hopefully as Vuylay departed, sliding up to her.  
"Nope, I'm here too!" Junk Pixie's voice came, just as Terebel began to inch an arm around Narlafayn's waist. "Let's go shopping Panties Lady!" she said, latching onto Narlafayn's hand eagerly and dragging her towards the merchants. "My money tree produced a lot of money while you were gone, I 'm going to invest it!"

Terebel sighed, glaring at the Dwarf as she led Narlafayn away. His nerves were really starting to get on edge, and he didn't know how much longer he could uphold the challenge Narlafayn had given him. Immersing himself in a bloody battle was becoming more and more appealing, and he wasn't comfortable with that side of himself.

Narlafayn, accompanied by Terebel and Junk Pixie, wandered towards the inn a bit later, Junk Pixie gleefully swinging her money pouch and telling Narlafayn that Mama Pixie had given birth to Pip Pop without complications, and was taking a break from churning out babies to earn some shinies for herself. Narlafayn had quickly filled Terebel in on the Pixie family, her description leaving the Dark Elf's face paler than normal in fear of ever meeting any more of the family other than Junk Pixie.

They entered the crowded, noisy inn, Narlafayn and Terebel intent on locating a bath and eating some real food. They had only been traveling for a few days since their last visit to Giran, but they both felt exhausted as if they'd been out for months. Narlafayn perked up slightly as she noticed Ferrol sitting with Sharmin at the far corner of the inn, talking with her in a low voice.

"Hey Sharmin, there you are!" she shouted from the door, waving to her. Terebel and Junk Pixie flanked her, one looking bored and the other inspecting their surroundings with dollar signs in their eyes. Sharmin smiled and waved back, and it occurred to Narlafayn that there was gratitude in the girl's expression.

"Hi there." Sharmin greeted as they neared. "Where's Leon and Vuylay?" she asked, rising in her chair slightly to look for the missing people.

"Leon went to the Cathedral, and who knows where Vuylay is." Narlafayn stated, adding an eye roll to her sentence to make it seem more real.

"Checking the bounciness of her boobs!" Junk Pixie offered, hopping in place as if to demonstrate how they moved.

"Alright, enough about Vuy's boobs. What's so fascinating about those things anyway?" Narlafayn asked with a disgusted face. "All they ever do is get in the way…" she recalled watching Vuylay run down the path behind them the first time they left Giran. She halted them several times as they'd flopped out of her bodice and she needed them to wait for her as she re-adjusted.

"We like to call them 'fun bags'." Terebel began, cupping his hands and holding them in the air in front of his chest. The action caused Narlafayn extreme annoyance, and she took Sharmin's half empty bowl and turned it over his head. The noodles that had been within it dripped down his nose and over his shoulders, and he lowered his eyes in annoyance at her. "You're lucky I think you're cute." He stated, deadpan.

"I think I'll go look for them…" Sharmin said slowly, scooting out of her chair.

"Okie dokie slow pokey, have fun!" Junk Pixie stated cheerfully, waving at her. She hopped into Sharmin's chair as the girl walked out into the sunlight, and began rummaging through her bag.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced." Narlafayn began politely, looking at the older man who still sat at the table. "My name is Narlafayn, and this is Terebel." Terebel mustered up a sarcastic half smile as he picked the food from his hair and face and dumped it back into the bowl.

"Nerafan?" Ferrol said, suddenly interested.

"No, Narlafayn…I was told that was a similar name in ancient texts though." Narlafayn corrected, not wanting to be associated with any legends that the Children of Shilen had passed down.

"You are familiar with the Nerafan tale, are you not?" Ferrol persisted.

"Sort of…" Narlafayn said uneasily.

"I'm not." Terebel interjected, suddenly interested. Narlafayn grimaced inwardly; something about Ferrol's eager expression reminding her of Vlad and making her very feel very uneasy to be around him.

"The Nerafan tale is one that the scholars at the Ivory Tower are still struggling to decode to this day." Ferrol began with an eagerness that only a historian could muster. "The texts telling of it were said to be sent to the Ivory Tower mysteriously by an unknown sponsor from the Elmore region. They were some of the last books written by the priests of Shilen, and dictated by Lilith herself. It is said that there is a relief in the Garden of Eva that also tells of the Nerafan, but no one can make sense of it."

"Yeah, but what is this Nerafan tale? You're not telling us anything." Terebel said, slightly irritated.

"That's the sad thing, the language the texts were written in has been long forgotten, and so we're having trouble translating it." Ferrol said sadly. "From what we can gather though is that the name Nerafan, is the description of an object, not a person, is somehow associated with the Coming Winter that the Orcs fear, and the unsealing of the seals that Emperor Shunaiman so painstakingly placed upon Shilen and her minions. The Children of Shilen seemed to be quite excited about this "Nerafan" thing. Quite bluntly, we believe it refers to the apocalypse; the end of all that is."

A cold feeling settled in Narlafayn's limbs and she turned stiffly away from Ferrol and walked out of the inn. She suddenly felt like ice ran in her veins, and she wanted nothing more than to get out in the sunlight. Leaning against the sun-warmed brick of a house across from the inn, she let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her arms, trying to ward off the chill.

"Forgive me; I have frightened you with my eagerness…" Ferrol's voice came. Narlafayn looked over her shoulder at him, and gave him a bland smile as he approached.

"No, it's ok. I don't think it was you. We had a bad run-in with an acquaintance of mine on the road, and I think I'm still stressed about that." She said as he came to stand near her.

"Ah…well forgive me for seeming rude, but I must depart before I can fully appreciate your company." Ferrol said, taking Narlafayn's hand and squeezing it in a formal manner. "I must return to Hardin and report to him what I discovered on my trip. I hope that I will see you again some day." He flashed a friendly smile and then walked towards the town square.

Narlafayn sat on the edge of a stone flowerbox that sat in a little recreation square between some houses later that night. She hadn't had a chance to visit with Leon since locating him after he left the Cathedral. Finding out from Junk Pixie that the youth had gone days without sleep had put her back in her authoritive, motherly position with him and she'd sent him to bed despite his protesting that he had orders from the church to carry out.

Sharmin seemed avoidant of Leon and strangely talkative the rest of the night. She was almost giddy, and avoided any conversation that led to Ferrol. Leon seemed oblivious to it, but Narlafayn could see right through it; Ferrol was wanted by the church and Sharmin had helped him escape. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. It pained her in a strange way to see one Paladin working against the other, especially when the other Paladin had a many-year crush on the first. _That man must've had some sort of impact on Sharmin to make her work against Leon like that._ Narlafayn thought to herself as she stared up at the moon.

She took a breath and let it out slowly. She'd talked briefly with Sharmin, and discovered that after initially being separated from Komugi and Vuylay before, she'd never been reunited with Komugi. Sharmin had found out someone fitting Komugi's description was traveling towards Heine, so that was the town they had initially set out to reach.

There was something about Sharmin's smile that seemed forced, and Narlafayn had the distinct feeling that something had happened that she was trying to not think about. Leon, although oblivious to her affections, also suddenly seemed rather protective of her, and would suspiciously watch any man that stared at Sharmin for longer than a few moments.

Vuylay managed to emerge from her room for an hour, only to be driven back in it after eating some food. Narlafayn made a mental note to talk to Ryonai about controlling his hormones during the day, if only just to give Vuylay some peace.

"Narlafayn." Terebel's voice came. Narlafayn stood quickly, looking towards the tree she heard his voice emanate from. He was well hidden in the shadows, and she could barely make out his figure against the black of the trunk.

"Terebel…I thought you went to bed." Narlafayn said with a nervous smile. He had the intense gaze that he wore during the party, and it was making her nervous for two very different reasons. He paced slightly, stepping back and forth in the shadows like a prowling animal afraid to come into the light cast off by the oil lamps that lined the streets. "What's wrong?" she asked, taking a curious step towards him.

"Stay back." He commanded. Narlafayn was rooted to the spot with his words, never before hearing such force in his voice.

"Are you hurt?" she asked worriedly. "Do you need me to get Vuylay to heal you?" Terebel laughed in a curt manner, making her frown.

"There is nothing to heal with me, unless you intend to let me bed her." He said in a hateful voice. Narlafayn's brow furrowed and she felt a stab of rejection.

"I told you, if the challenge is too much, just tell me." Narlafayn attempted to say indignantly, but her voice ended up coming out hurt instead of stubborn. Terebel paused in his pacing and gazed at her through the top of his eyes. Narlafayn felt as if he were a hungry beast staring at a wounded animal, with how he looked at her, and she fidgeted.

"It is too much for me." He said simply. "However, I can't seem to bring myself to give up on you." He took a few steps, the half-moon shining dimly on his hair, turning it a purplish blue color. "Am I that disgusting to you still?" he asked softly, hurt showing on his features. Narlafayn looked away from him and clasped her arm at the bicep.

"No, of course you're not disgusting…" she said, biting her lower lip. "It's just...the last time I opened myself up to someone I got used and thrown away. I don't think I could bear to have that happen a second time."

"I am not Deathswalker." He said darkly. Narlafayn raised her head quickly to stare at him with large eyes. "If I were like him, I wouldn't be having such a hard time restraining myself from making you mine right here and now, with or without your permission." His voice was a low growl, and Narlafayn took a step back, frightened of it yet intrigued. She wondered how he knew about Deathswalker, but could not find the courage to question it. Terebel sighed heavily and shut his eyes as he retreated back into the shadows. "I need to go hunt. I will return tomorrow as myself." He murmured as he disappeared into the darkness. Narlafayn sighed heavily and hugged herself, suddenly feeling very cold and alone.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

_In which nothing can describe the feelings Narlafayn feels_

In the silvery palace that Einhasad and her children live in when they are not in their realms, the god of wind stood behind a pillar, listening to his brother Paagrio and sister Maphr talk. Before he could make sense of the things they were saying, he felt the presence of his mother arrive in the hall they stood in, and commanded them to remain far away from Eva that day, as she would be assisting in removing a threat from the world. Staring hard at the marbled ground beneath his feet, Sayha thought hard on what it could be his mother spoke of. His eyes widened as he realized what it was, and he turned to rush from the palace and head to the mortal plane.

"Where are you going?" Gran Kain's deep voice came, halting him in his steps. Sayha looked at his father, making sure to keep his face without expression. Gran Kain wore the cloak he always had draped over his body, but had his hood pushed back to reveal his face. His eyes were red this day, and Sayha knew that his father was in a sour disposition. Sayha swallowed nervously, thankful that he had his golden helmet covering his head at that moment.

"To visit the mortal plane of course, father. They are quite the amusing lot, those creations of yours…" he said, hoping he masked all of the nervousness in his voice. He bowed respectively towards his father before attempting to move past him. Without warning, Gran Kain lifted his hand slightly and the golden helmet concealing Sayha's face shattered, tiny bits of gold showering through the air like rich snow. Sayha reflexively lifted his hands as the armor broke, and his face was revealed to be poised in a frightened wince.

"You always were a bad liar, Sayha." Gran Kain said, approaching his son. While in their physical guises, Sayha was taller than his father, but now he was shorter as Gran Kain grew with his temper. He brought his face in close to Sayha's and glared at him, his eyes, including the whites, completely blood red. His pupils were slitted like Shilen's, and stood out demonically. "Where have you hidden it?" he asked, his voice but a growl. "Why is it that Einhasad's golem is closer to it than I am? Tell me!"

"I don't know what you speak of, father." Sayha said, forgetting to hide his nervousness now.

"Oh but you do." A grin spread on Gran Kain's face that chilled even the wind god to his core. "And you will take off your enchantments hiding it, or perhaps your mother should be introduced to her long-lost granddaughter…"

Sayha turned to face his father fully with this, his beautiful face contorted into a hateful anger. "Blackmail is a human trait, father. It does not befit the god of chaos." Sayha growled, trembling slightly. Knowing that he had Sayha's full attention, Gran Kain smirked and patted his son on the cheek as if Sayha were a child.

"It amuses me to behave as such, especially when it gets cooperation out of you." He said in a friendly tone. He turned away, pulling his hood up to conceal his head once more. "Don't disappoint me, Sayha. You have until the blood moon rises." He paused and glanced over his shoulder, shutting his eyes with his smile. "You might want to hurry up and get yourself a new helmet too…I know how the girls cannot resist your pretty face. Make sure to be stylish this time…that bucket you wore last time was embarrassing to behold." The shadows erupted in a swirl from Gran Kain's feet and surrounded him. As they returned to the spot in the ground from where they emerged, Gran Kain was gone.

Several things of oddity had happened to Narlafayn the day following her conversation with Terebel. First, Narlafayn had burst into Leon's room to wake him that morning, only to find a bewildered Sharmin in his bed. Knowing nothing indecent had happened between the two, she'd shrugged it off, but was still surprised that Leon would still place a sleeping Sharmin in his bed rather than her own. Second, after getting the Gatekeeper's spell cast on them, they were pulled not to Heine, but rather, somehow ended up outside of the Garden of Eva, several days' worth of foot travel from Heine. Third and last, Sharmin was reunited with Komugi, who happened to be traveling to the Garden herself for some reason. The final reason was good, but it puzzled Narlafayn as to why so much was suddenly happening all at once. She had the nagging feeling that the stage was being prepared for something, but she couldn't describe it.

"Garden of Eva? What the heck are we doing here?" Narlafayn asked as Leon shook water from his armor. The Gatekeeper spell had landed him in the water, right off of the beach they all stood upon. "Is there even a dimensional spell that brings people here?"

"Not that I know of…what happened in there?" Terebel answered thoughtfully. He bent over at his waist and began digging through the sand for his dual swords. Behind him, Junk Pixie ran across the sand, chasing a giant alligator-man known as a Nos. She waved her weapon threateningly, and the giant beast seemed terrified of her, despite the fact that she came no higher than his knee.

"There was a girl….in the vortex." Sharmin's voice suddenly came. Narlafayn looked up at her and blinked. "She asked for help and I took her hand….didn't you guys see her too?" Narlafayn gave Terebel a wide-eyed look and he shrugged and shook his head at her. She glanced at the faces of everyone around her, seeing if there was any familiarity in any of their expressions. The Sorceress traveling with Komugi who went by the name Melissan, smiled as Narlafayn's eyes met hers. Narlafayn's eyebrows quirked slightly as a portion of the girl's face suddenly cracked and flaked to the ground like dried clay. Blinking rapidly, Narlafayn rubbed her eyes quickly and squinted as she looked back at the girl. Melissan had turned her attention away from Narlafayn, and the cracked place was gone.

"Well now what, it's at least a full day's travel to Heine from here." Narlafayn asked, putting her hands on her hips. She put on a show of being annoyed, but truly she was disturbed at what she thought she'd seen.

"We'll continue onward." Leon stated maturely. "Something obviously called us here for a reason, and it's our duty to see who it was and why."

"Always the dutiful hand of god." Narlafayn heard Vuylay mutter next to her. "I don't think we should linger here, I don't feel right." She said in a low voice, unheard by everyone except her.

"This is great! We'll whiz right through the Garden at this rate." Valimos, a Dark Elf that had also been traveling with Komugi stated. There was something greedy about his attitude that made Narlafayn want to keep her distance, despite the fact that he was a Dark Elf. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them, adding to Narlafayn's earlier thought of him being greedy. "But if you get any treasure off of the guardian beasts in there, it goes to me, got it?"

"Not if I get it first." Junk Pixie stated, matter-of-fact. She had killed the Nos and was currently trying to stuff the head of a large club into her already full travel pack.

"Well you WON'T get it first then, will you." Valimos growled coldly.

"Now now…" Melissan interjected, holding her hands up. "It's not fair to demand such things from someone if they're the one who kills the monster." She said with a smile. Narlafayn rubbed her eyes again as she thought more of Melissan's face was crumbling.

"Shut up, human." Valimos growled.  
"Alright, ENOUGH." Komugi shouted, holding her hands out. "This is nutty enough as it is. Valimos, shut up. Leon, you're insane, but if your idea gets us moving, then we'll go with it. The rest of you, either go away or start walking, I'm tired of just standing here staring at everyone like a dumbass!" Komugi's fists balled at her side as she seethed, and Terebel snorted in laughter at the face she made.

"You haven't changed a bit." Sharmin said happily. Komugi turned her head quickly to glare.

"Alright then, if we're going down there, shall I kiss everyone?" Vuylay said with a heavy sigh, dragging her feet to the center of the group.

"Kiss?" Narlafayn asked, her eyes wide. Vuylay paused and glanced over her shoulder at her.

"Yes, that is the way to cast the spell to help you stay underwater longer." She responded, lifting an eyebrow. "Haven't you ever had that spell before?"

"You're kissing the chicks." Komugi grumbled, moving away from Sharmin to stand next to Vuylay. "Oh, and you're kissing Valimos too." She added.

"Wait, you mean there's actual kissing involved?" Narlafayn tried again, panicking as it seemed there were no men who knew the spell the girls were about to cast.

"Can I kiss the pink-haired one?" Terebel suddenly asked his eyes bright. Without looking, Narlafayn crushed her heel into his boot, wincing as she realized he had metal plates over his toes. "The guilt from knowing how much that had to hurt you has driven away all previous desire behind my question. Buff me up, Vuylay." He said, his shoulders drooping. Vuylay glared at him for a moment before lifting her hand to her mouth. She concentrated for a moment as her fingertips touched her lips, then leaned forward and pecked Terebel's mouth. A blue glow washed over his body and he walked towards the beach, sheathing his swords as his feet touched the water.

Komugi gave Sharmin a wicked grin as she raised her own hand to touch her lips in a similar manner that Vuylay had done. Narlafayn put a hand to her head, knowing exactly what it was that Komugi was going to do. Spell on her lips cast, Komugi approached Leon with a grin and pecked his lips to cast the spell. As expected, Sharmin went rigid, and stared at her sister with bulging eyes. _Doesn't take long for them to fall back into old habits…_ Narlafayn thought.

"Your turn." Vuylay stated, walking away from Junk Pixie and approaching Narlafayn.

"I'll just take my chances…" Narlafayn said, scooting away from her friend.

"Shut up, I don't want to do this either." Vuylay grumbled, grabbing Narlafayn's face roughly to keep her from scooting farther. Narlafayn felt a strange expanding sensation in her lungs as Vuylay kissed her, and blinked curiously as Vuylay moved on to Valimos.

Following after those who had been buffed, Narlafayn approached the shoreline. Quite a distance away, at the edge of the reef, Narlafayn could barely make out a blue glow from orbs lighting the entrance into the Garden of Eva. Taking a deep breath, Narlafayn dove into the water and began to swim towards the entryway.

She opened her eyes in the water and regretted it as the salt water burned them. Still she forced them to stay open as she swam, trying to see where she was going. Terebel, who had been treading water above the entryway, came down after she crossed into the cavern leading into a large room. Behind him was Valimos, followed by Sharmin, Melissan, Vuylay and Komugi. Leon and Junk Pixie were in the lead, Leon scoping things out before waving them all onward.

The water inside of the Garden's entryway glowed with a brilliant green pulsing light, and was unfortunately too cloudy to see far in. At the back of the entry room, the floor had crumbled away, leading to a hidden passage below. Not waiting for anyone, Narlafayn began swimming down, wincing as her ears began to hurt from the water pressure. She stopped halfway through the second room, squinting as something on the walls caught her attention. Quickly assessing how much time she had left before the air in her lungs went stale; Narlafayn left her path of travel and swam towards the wall.

Peering through the murky water, she squinted at the carvings on the wall. _Could this be what Ferrol was talking about? _Narlafayn thought as she ran her hands over the pictures. She saw a fearsome demonic being dropping a hammer from the sky, and then a bunch of squat creatures resembling dwarves taking the hammer and putting it in fire. A shot of pain went through Narlafayn's head behind her eyes and she shut her eyes tightly. Forcing them open again, she moved down the wall, her hair swirling about her as she peered through the murk once more. The next set of pictures made less sense. A snake had taken the hammer from the fire, and carried it to a being that appeared to be dead, or sleeping. Two beings held the hammer in the next carving, and were cowering underneath a frightful thing with wings.

She jumped as a hand snatched her by the wrist, and turned to find Terebel giving her a quizzical look. He motioned for her to follow him, and began to pull her down towards the pathway. Valimos was still struggling to swim downwards and Terebel toted her up a ramp and helped her out of the water.

"Hello, who's this?" Terebel asked as soon as the hair was out of his eyes. Narlafayn looked in annoyance and found him grinning at a blonde Elf standing near another Dark Elf.

"Amari?" Narlafayn said more than asked. The Spellhowler turned to look at her in mild surprise.

"Hello there, fancy meeting you here." Amari said politely. "This girl that Terebel is ogling happens to be my long-time friend Aerin." He introduced. Terebel looked away innocently as Narlafayn cast him another glare.

"Pleasure." Aerin said shortly, turning away from Terebel. His eyes widened at her disinterest and he gave Narlafayn a pleading look.

"It's been so long since I've had attention and now I'm loosing my touch." He whined.

"What are you guys doing here?" Narlafayn asked, ignoring him.

"Well you see, that's an interesting story…" Amari began. He broke off as the sounds of muted battle met their ears.

"Sharmin got caught by that fairy!" Komugi coughed as she trudged up the ramp. Without hesitating, Leon dove back into the water and swam back down. There was a tense moment of silence, and suddenly three heads broke the surface. Sharmin took in a loud gasp and coughed as Leon and Vlad towed her to the ramp.

"That was fun." Vlad said lightly, squeegeeing the water from his hair by slicking it back.

"If you say so." Leon sighed, turning away from him. Narlafayn raised her eyebrows in surprise at the muted hostility in his voice.

"Does the over-achiever not know how to have fun?" Vlad questioned in a babying tone, sheathing his swords upon his back.

"If a near death situation is your idea of a good time, then by all means, please return to the foyer and dispose of the Guardian Fairy. The rest of us will stick to more comprehendible means of entertainment that are more logical than nearly drowning while trying to dispose of an immortal creature." Leon snapped, helping Sharmin to her feet.

"How many of you are going to show up, anyway? What is this, a planned reunion or something?" Komugi interjected, interrupting the budding argument between the men. "Good grief, this is like the Talking Island convention." She grumbled, wringing her tunic out.

"Beats me, I was just told there'd be killing." Vlad said cheerfully. He turned to Amari, his smile fading into curiosity. "There will be killing, right?"

"Ok we're in, now where are we going?" Vuylay asked in irritation, wringing her ponytail out.

"Down!" Junk Pixie exclaimed, jaunting down a ramp happily. "My shinies smeller says there's lots of shinies to be had down this way!" she proclaimed.

A panicked feeling suddenly jolted through Narlafayn like lightning, and she paused halfway down the ramp to the next landing. She turned to look over her shoulder fearfully, halting Terebel in his trek behind her. He tilted his head at her curiously, and Narlafayn felt her face drawing up as she suppressed a sob in her throat.

"What's the matter?" he asked, concerned. He reached out and touched her chin in a comforting manner. "Don't worry, I'm here." He said with a smile. She swallowed against the tightness in her throat and gave him a feeble smile.

"Nothing's wrong…just a little concerned about why we're here is all." She said weakly. Terebel placed his hand on her face and rubbed her cheek lightly with his thumb, prompting her smile to become genuine with his own. Terebel leaned forward and pecked her cheek lightly before taking her gently by the wrist and pulling her to follow the group.

The journey through the Garden was uneventful for the most part. Narlafayn lingered behind the rest with Terebel, still not strong enough to be of any help against most of the monsters within the Garden. The place seemed to be several circular paths going around a center area filled with water with a tall tower jutting out of the middle. Doorways covered by waterfalls blocked one path from the next, and the party had to wait multiple times in a pathway until the door opened.

"Uh, guys, what's that?" She asked, peering through one waterfall to the next path. Below her floated an elegant looking lady wearing a black filmy dress. She seemed to be an apparition of some sort, as she lacked legs. "It looks like some sort of pale lady wearing black…She's got a bunch of floating guys wearing robes around her." Aerin was at her side in an instant, looking through the waterfall and sucking in a breath of wonder. Narlafayn had never seen a Spellsinger so enthralled by a place as she was. She seemed to be very deep within the religion of worshipping Eva.

"That's Eva's Guardian, Millenu." Aerin said, awestruck. "She guards the Garden from those who wish to harm our goddess, how could you not recognize her?" She looked at Narlafayn in an almost stuck-up manner, and Narlafayn cleared her throat nervously.

"I guess I didn't pay attention in school…" she said, giving Aerin a half-grin. Aerin frowned at her and returned to gazing at the Guardian. Narlafayn glanced sheepishly away from the other Elf and pursed her lips, making a note to herself to have Lavinia teach her about Eva some time.

"So how are we going to get past her?" Terebel asked, resting his chin on Narlafayn's head as he looked over it. He turned away with a wince a moment later. "That looks like it could be painful."

"Well, we could go with this strategy…" Vlad began, pulling a dagger from his boot and crouching to scratch a formation into the polished stone they stood on. Valimos stared at it for a moment then stood with a sour expression.

"We don't have time to cook up something as moronic as that." He said, turning away. His mood had been quickly turning sour at the lack of treasures he was gaining from killing monsters. Junk Pixie, on the other hand, had to borrow Melissan's travel pack to hold the amount of items she was procuring.

"Ok then, how about we send in a decoy and the rest of us run to the next doorway before they close?" Vlad suggested, looking pointedly at Sharmin, who stiffened and glared.

"I'll do it." Leon offered quickly. Everyone except for Narlafayn seemed to be surprised at his offer, and Vlad clucked his tongue in a disappointed manner. "Vlad and I are the strongest ones here, and I can take a beating longer than he can, so I'll do it."

"The over-achiever strikes again." Vlad mumbled. "I don't think endurance is the deciding factor this time." Leon stared at him expressionlessly, his jaw twitching as he tried to control his temper.

"What does he mean that he and Vlad are the only strong ones here?" Terebel grumbled, frowning at the blonde youth. Narlafayn looked up at him, and gave him a weak smile, but he didn't see it.

"Melissan!" Sharmin's voice suddenly cried, and Narlafayn turned to see her racing through the doorway leading to the next pathway.

"Sharmin!" Komugi screamed, and the group sprung into action, racing through the archway after her. Just as they passed through the first archway, the one on the opposite side of the new pathway closed again, Sharmin just barely making it through. Narlafayn froze behind Melissan, who was standing completely still in front of Millenu, her arms outstretched. A strange barrier shone around the Guardian, keeping her and her minions encased behind it.

"Forgive me my master, but it seems the wrong one went through." Narlafayn heard Melissan whisper. Her voice was rough, like she was talking through stone vocal cords.

"Melissan?" Leon asked, reaching a hand out to her. The instant his fingers touched her shoulder; she crumbled into a heap of dust like a dry sandcastle. Komugi cried out and covered her mouth to smother the rest of her shock. The barrier Melissan had encased Millenu in, imploded, taking the Guardian and her servants with it. Narlafayn stared at the spot, her own mouth open in shock, and gave Leon a look of worry. He had panic underneath his cool front, and he raced to the other archway as quick as he could. "Sharmin!" he shouted.

"I don't feel well…" Vuylay suddenly said. She hugged herself tightly, and stared at the waterfall blocking the next archway. Her face was colorless, and she trembled slightly. "Please, let's turn around and go back." She said, grabbing Narlafayn's arm. "I feel like if we go down there, I'll never see you again." Tears sparkled in Vuylay's eyes, and Narlafayn blinked at her in surprise.

"We'll be fine." Narlafayn said with a smile. It came out less than assuring though, her voice flatter than she had hoped. She too was getting the distinct feeling of foreboding, but she had to go on. She didn't know why, but even if Sharmin had not separated from the group, she would've wanted to continue onwards anyway.

"She was a golem?" Valimos' voice suddenly came. He stood over the pile that had once been Melissan, staring at it with large eyes. Narlafayn instantly recalled seeing the pieces flake off of Melissan, and it suddenly made sense. The feeling of foreboding grew into one of dread, and Narlafayn rushed to the archway, her eyes large.

"Come on, open." She urged it under her breath. She wanted to get Sharmin and get out of there. She had never seen such a well-made golem before, if that was indeed what Melissan had been. Something had planted Melissan with them to get them to go into that Garden, she just knew it.

It only took ten minutes after the archway was blocked for it to open again, and Narlafayn stampeded down the ramp leading into the center area. Perhaps if the situation was not so urgent she would've taken the time to gaze at the beauty of the tower, or how the ocean could be seen through the glass domed ceiling above them, but not now.

Komugi darted away from the group quicker than the rest, and called her sister's name as Sharmin walked towards an opening in the wall. It slid shut just as Komugi neared it, and the younger girl turned towards a floating monster standing nearby it, gazing at her without pity. The water was shallow, but as the party approached Komugi, strange creatures that looked to be men with seahorse bodies sprung from the water. Each wielded long pikes, and swung at them. They were known as Theeder Pikers, and were also guardians of Eva's Garden.

One swung repeatedly at Terebel, who deflected each swing with both swords. "Narlafayn!" he shouted. Narlafayn turned just as a Theeder Piker thrust his spear at her, cutting a wound in her stomach. He readied another swing, when suddenly an arrow hit him in the neck and laid him flat. He sunk beneath the shallow water, silvery blood spreading across the surface like oil. Behind him stood a dark-faced Vuylay, who lowered a crystallized bow. Behind her the others fought their own Theeders except for Vlad, who was crouched in the water, curiously draining an injured Theeder of his silvery blood.

"Looks like liquid metal…wonder if its properties are the same." He said to no one in particular.

"Not NOW Vlad!" Amari hissed as he cast a spell. "I don't get it, these things are usually so weak and easy to plow through, so why am I struggling?" he griped as he shut his eyes to cast another spell.

"Must be the power of a god." Vlad said in amusement as he made a surgical cut in the Theeder's chest.

"It's open!" Komugi's shout came. Without looking to see if Vuylay and Terebel were still with her, Narlafayn dashed after Komugi and down a long corridor. She skidded to a halt after Komugi, her eyes large. The corridor opened into a large square room, one single fountain set at the center. Water coursed down the walls and emptied into shallow channels that took the water elsewhere. Ahead of Komugi stood Sharmin and a girl with illustrious blonde hair that floated around her head like a cloud. She wore a strange shell-shaped headpiece, and would've been gorgeous if not for the look of terror on her face.

"Eva!" Aerin's voice came. She dropped to her knees beside Komugi in instant reverence. "Oh holy goddess, how you have graced us with your presence." She whimpered. _This is a god?_ Narlafayn thought, tilting her head at her curiously.

"She looks normal." She said aloud, stepping forward to introduce herself. Eva began to whimper as she stared into Narlafayn's eyes, putting a stop to her feet.

"No, it is the one who will kill us all…" Eva sobbed, tears falling from her eyes. Narlafayn's lips parted slightly and she felt a stab of fear hit her own heart.

_Do you want a life of your own?_ She heard the black-haired woman say in her head.

Noticing her distress, Leon stepped forward now and gave the goddess the gentle smile that usually left one feeling protected. "It's ok; we're not going to harm you." He said gently.

"Or will we?" Vlad said from behind Narlafayn. His voice held the tone of sadistic glee, and Aerin shushed him. Eva did not seem comforted by Leon's words, and drew away from them while holding her hands to her cheeks.

"Stay away from me, destroyer of gods!" she wailed. A waterspout erupted from her feet and encased her within it. When the water receded, Eva still stood before them, but she seemed taller and more mature. She lowered her hands as she stood up to her full height, towering above even Vlad a good foot. She stared down at them with a gaze as cold as the deepest parts of the ocean. This was a goddess to be feared, and Narlafayn's heart thudded in her chest in anxiety. Eva's eyes met hers and lowered in satisfaction.

"The ones you requested are in place, mother." She said her voice as cold as her eyes. Another waterspout encased her as she held her hands out. As the water subsided, the light in the room dimmed and a portal of light rolled open on the far wall. Images emerged on the other side of it like eyes coming into focus, and Narlafayn's breath caught in her throat at what she saw.

On the other side was a bustling city; very different from the cities of Aden. The houses were white, and had round roofs. A great cliff towered around the city and blocked out much of the sky from where they could see. Memories rushed through Narlafayn's head in a great flood, and she suddenly remembered everything she'd been struggling to recall for the past four years.

_Vana'diel, San D'Oria, Gustaberg_…all of these words that she had forgotten now was there, identifying everything she saw in the portal. The street led to the large fountain in the Marketplace. She could clearly recall sitting there, writing in the book that she was to give to her mother to explain her reasons for becoming an Adventurer. Zeal, the name of her mother came next in her memories, followed by memories of Juri, her best friend. Eclipses and Oona, the two people she was closest two in the linkshell that Eclipses had given to her while hunting in Gustaberg. Everything came back, even the memories of Rasta. She looked over her shoulder at Terebel with this thought, her heart in a conflict of emotions. What would happen if she stepped through that portal? Would she be able to return to Aden? Would Terebel go with her to Vana'diel?

"Holy Mother Einhasad, what is that?" Leon breathed. Narlafayn looked back to the portal, yearning to go through it and see her mother again. To throw herself in her arms and tell her all of this world and everything that had happened to her in it. To be scolded and tucked into bed when she was tired, her mother smoothing her hair from her head while she slept. Oh to return to being a little girl…it seemed very, very desirable to Narlafayn now.

"It's Bastok…" Narlafayn explained in a soft voice, reaching out a hand to touch the portal. "It's my home, the place I came from…" Terebel stiffened and tried to take a step towards her, catching the yearning in her voice. He recognized Narlafayn's silent wish to return, and he didn't want her to. He stopped, one leg bent and ready to take a step, as time was stopped within the room.

Too caught up in gazing longingly at the marketplace of Bastok, Narlafayn never noticed the portal of light opening up at the back of the room, in the air. She never saw the figure of light step from it and pull a bowstring taut as it aimed an arrow for her back. She was suddenly pushed roughly away from the portal by Sharmin as the arrow flew through the air. It struck the girl in the chest, slamming her into the portal, which began to suck her in like a thick jelly.

"A curse upon you Pirate King!" the being of light shouted as a new person with long blonde hair bound into a ponytail and wielding dual swords cut through it. Narlafayn could only sit on the ground with large eyes as Leon darted for the portal.

"Leon!" Sharmin exclaimed, her voice echoing and fading to nothing as the portal closed on her. Leon's fingers barely touched hers, and then she was suddenly pulled back by a great suction, the dimensional rift sealing up.

"SHARMIN!" Komugi cried, running up behind Leon a heartbeat after the portal shut.

"NO!" Narlafayn heard herself shout mournfully before bursting into tears. Vuylay was at her side in an instant, clutching her protectively to her body like a mother does a child. She rocked her and shushed her reflexively, now understanding that all of the stories Narlafayn had told her of the other world were real. The urge to cry fled Narlafayn quickly, and she stared out into the air with large eyes, her body wracked with shivers. _Will I ever belong?_ She asked in her mind, but could not discern a reason for asking it. _Oh mother…_


	29. Epilogue

Epilogue

"It's a pity you won't join my clan, you did wonderfully exterminating those Bugbears for me." Terebel gave his employer a half grin as he counted the Adena in the bag the man had given him. "Thanks but no thanks; I'm kind of reserved to join Haibane if I ever choose to join up with anyone." He declined. His employer scratched a chin dusted with facial hair thoughtfully for a moment.

"Pity." He said sadly. Terebel gave him a courteous half bow before turning away from him to make his way towards the Gatekeeper. Dion was busy that day, and he wanted to get out as quickly as possible lest one of his old trysts recognize him. "Just a second!" the man called, halting him. "I've heard about you, you're that Bladedancer that's taking on odd jobs for as much money as you can get. Might I ask the reason for it?"

"That's awfully nosy of an employer who wanted me to go murder a group he used to associate with just because Antharas turned them into Bugbears." Terebel said flatly, giving the man an annoyed expression. "But it's really no secret reason. My girlfriend is in a state of shock you see…I need to earn money so she can live until she comes out of it." He sighed heavily and stowed the bag of money into his travel pack. "Also gets rid of any extra energy…" he muttered to himself.

"That's a shame." The man sighed, shaking his head. "Is she pretty?" Terebel gave him a glare of suspicion, and turned his head slightly.

"Why are you asking? Not thinking of dipping in my sugar, are you?" he asked, squinting his eyes shut.

"My boy, I may look young, but I've been married longer than you've been alive." The man grinned. Terebel blinked in surprise, not thinking it possible with the youthful look the man had. Terebel was nearly sixty years old himself, but yet this human man claimed he was married longer than that and sported a head of black hair and a face devoid of wrinkles!

"I'm guessing you think I'm younger than I really am." He said blandly. The man laughed heartily, but did not respond. "Yes, I'd say she's very pretty. Long silver hair, nicely curved body which I'm thankful for as most Light Elves are as skinny as rails. I'm finding I'll do anything for her…and it's confusing me." He admitted.

"Sounds like love." The man said in a complimenting tone. Terebel's face reddened and he stared at the man with large eyes.

"Nothing of the sort, I'm a Dark Elf! I don't fall for people!" he exclaimed. "I have to get going now though, if you ever need anything, look me up in the Elven Village." He waved as he departed.

"Silver hair, huh?" the man repeated. He adjusted the heavy brown cloak he wore and turned to walk through the town. "Light Elf, hmm?" he mused. His friendly smile turned dark, and Gran Kain's smirk became one more frightening to behold than anything his daughter Shilen could ever muster up. "I do believe I've found it." He said mysteriously. Shadows engulfed him as he walked behind a house, swallowing him up and taking him from the mortal plane. Things were just beginning, and even he had taken an interest in the game his daughter was setting up. If the end was to come, why not have a bit of fun before it?


End file.
